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Earlier this month I was saddened to hear the news of the passing of the great Senator John McCoy. He was an incredible public servant who gave tirelessly to his community since he was a young person. He was born on the Tulalip Reservation in 1943 and as a young adult followed in his father’s footsteps to serve in the Air Force for 20 years. He went on to serve in the Regan Administration to do contract work with computers and technology in the Situation Room. He eventually returned to Tulalip to work on economic development and stability and was instrumental in developing the Quil Ceda Village shopping center. He successfully ran for State Representative in the 38th Legislative District in 2003 and was then appointed to the State Senate in 2013 where he served until his retirement in April of 2020. John leaves behind an incredible legacy of service and transformational change to supporting tribal communities. It was an honor to pay my respects to Senator McCoy and his family at his memorial service earlier this month. He will be dearly missed.
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This year my office organized our 3rd Annual Pride Flag Raising Event to kick off Pride Month in Snohomish County. We were joined by a number of speakers to share more about the importance of recognizing Pride Month, the history of the LGBTQIA+ movement in Snohomish County, and celebrating the human rights of our LGBTQIA+ community. We also invited representatives from Pride events across the county to join and share more about their events and how people can participate.
Thank you to all who helped to put the event together, to the people who were able to attend and celebrate, and to everyone that sees the value of every human.
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With Paula Rhyne, my Legislative Aide, who helped organize the event. |
With local leaders and speakers from Pride Flag raising event |
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Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19th each year to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved black people in the US. It marks the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to share the news that all enslaved people should be freed. Though the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed two and a half years earlier, Texas slave owners continued the practice and news of this event was purposefully withheld from the people they enslaved. After federal troops arrived in Galveston to free the last of the slaves, June 19th was originally celebrated as “Jubilee Day” and is considered the longest-running African American Holiday.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 and the county has celebrated through a flag raising event at the county campus. I joined this year to help represent council at the event and shared remarks about Juneteenth as an opportunity to reflect and celebrate.
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With Executive Somers, Councilmember Nehring, and local leaders at the flag raising event. |
This year I have continued to serve as the Chair of the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) and have appreciated the hard work and consideration that the committee and staff put into supporting events in the county. The LTAC board oversees the allocation of a special fund collected by the county through a hotel-motel tax. Each time a person stays at a hotel or motel, a small tax is collected which then goes to a fund that can only pay for either the acquisition, construction, improvement, or operating performing or visual arts centers, or for the advertising, publicizing or distributing information for the purpose of attracting more visitors or encouraging tourist expansion.
The 2024 grant process is now digital. Completed application packages must be submitted via email to Tourism@snoco.org no later than August 23, 2023.
With two vacancies in the county’s South District and Cascade District Court, the county council was responsible for appointing a judge to fill each of these vacancies. The council received a total of ten applications from a number of incredibly qualified candidates. Many of the candidates had extensive experience serving as a pro tem judge or lower court judge, volunteer legal services, establishing specialty treatment courts, and other qualifications. After interviewing candidates and reviewing their application materials, council unanimously selected Rachelle Francis to serve at the Cascade Division court, and Matthew Baldock was selected on a 4-1 vote to serve at the South Division Court. I was the lone no vote for the South Division appointment because I valued and appreciated the attributes and experiences other candidates had to offer.
Thank you to all of the candidates who applied for these positions. We are lucky to have so many caring and knowledgeable people in our community.
The appointment to these vacancies is temporary and candidates will need to be confirmed by voters in the 2024 election cycle.
Summer can be a difficult time for families who struggle with food insecurity. The Everett Public School District and Mukilteo School District both host summer meal sites offering breakfast and lunch at no cost to families. Here is the link to meal locations in Everett, and here is the link to meal locations in the Mukilteo School District.
The Everett Public Schools Foundation is hosting a “Stuff the Bus” volunteer event again this summer and there are a number of ways that you can help. The event collects school supplies and backpacks for almost 3,000 children in need and then distributes them before the school year starts in the fall. Please visit their webpage to sign up for volunteer shifts, donate supplies, or donate to the foundation. Paula and I look forward to volunteering again this summer.
On Saturday, July 15 from 9-join for walk-in 3-D mammograms and learn more about cancer prevention.
A constituent recently shared some good news from Ward Roney Jr. VFW Post 7511 that I wanted to pass along. In early June, VFW Post 7511 welcomed their first female commander in their post’s history, Casi Myers. Myers served in the Navy for five years as an Aviation Electronics Technician and has been an engaged member of the post since 2018 where she has helped with raffle fundraisers, served on committees, and also performed the National Anthem at multiple events. Congratulations to Casi Myers!
Connect Casino Road is hosting free citizenship test preparation classes over the summer. The classes are on Friday mornings from 9-noon from July 21 through September 8. The sessions are for aspiring US citizens who are eligible to take the citizenship test and topics will cover civics, history, and geography. For more information and to check your eligibility, please check here: www.bit.ly/ccrcitizenship. If you have questions or would like to register, please call 425-540-7399.
You’d be hard pressed to find a more beautiful place to enjoy summer than the shores of the Salish Sea. The Tulalip community has a number of great events lined up for the summer months that celebrate the tribe, honor their connection with the land and water, and teach next generations the importance of their cultural knowledge. For a full list of events, please see this article in the Tulalip News, and also this listing of events hosted by the Hibulb Cultural Center.
The Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce has a number of fun events planned for the summer including the monthly Music at the Beach summer concert series, chamber breakfasts, and business networking events. Coming up on July 15 from 1-4p at Lighthouse Park is the 1st Annual “The Great Mukilteo Dog Show”! People will have a howlin’ good time showcasing their pups or checking out the other talented dogs of Mukilteo. Pawlease check out the website for more info: https://mukilteochamber.org/event/the-great-mukilteo-dog-show/.
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If you still have room on your calendar, please check out events listed on the Visit Everett site or through the Port of Everett. For neighbors who enjoy Jetty Island as much as I do, a reminder that reservations are required to use the ferry shuttle, and this year people are also able to reserve a spot for their return trip ahead of time. The Port also has a number of restaurant and brewery openings on deck for summer as well as some other initiatives. They are hosting an open house on June 29 if you are interested in learning more.
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