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June 24, 2022
Marysville MAP Court Graduation
When Marysville’s Mental Health Alternatives Program (MAP) Court held its first in-person session since the COVID-19 pandemic, it was for something special. On May 17, Shanda Kosnosky became the program’s most recent graduate.
MAP is an alternative court program intended to reduce repeated criminal activity with individually tailored, judicially supervised plans for medical treatment and/or lifestyle changes. Participants commit to a program term of at least 12 months, which may be extended to up to 18 months if needed. Participants who successfully complete the program earn dismissal of their criminal charges.
“These are people who are choosing a hard path to recovery, where they’re not getting an immediate reward,” said Judge Fred Gillings of Marysville Municipal Court. “They’re putting in literally months and months of work on becoming a better person.”
Kosnosky completed an 18-month dual-track plan focused on mental health and drug treatment.
“It was kind of hard at first because I had a lot of appointments, treatments three times a week, including meetings, and then your one-on-ones and mental health meetings,” she said. “But once I got it going, it really wasn’t that hard - it was pretty easy.”
At graduation, it is tradition for the MAP team to offer stones with inspirational words written on them to graduates. The stones are meant to reflect the graduates’ journeys.
Cathy Wheatcroft, a liaison for Bridgeways mental health services, said she did not recognize Kosnosky when they met at the courthouse. “I’ve been so used to seeing you on Zoom so I didn’t recognize you,” Wheatcroft told Kosnosky. “You look wonderful; you look healthy.”
Wheatcroft offered a stone engraved “success,” saying, “You’ll get to where you need to go.”
Lake Stevens prosecutor Jeffrey Leeper offered a rock with “peace” on it. “Think of the skills you’ve picked up, and keep that sense of peace.”
Marysville prosecutor Jennifer Millet, who has known Kosnosky since 2015, chose her own word: perseverance. “For the amount of work you’ve done and the change you’ve done, I know you are going to persevere in life,” Millet said. “I am so proud of you.”
Tammy McElyea, public defender, chose the “joy” rock. “I am just so joyful to see you get to this point,” McElyea said. “Enjoy the joys of life.”
Judge Gillings offered the “wisdom” rock. “It wasn’t the perfect beginning, but you hung in there,” he said. “You are becoming a new person.”
Kosnosky was elated upon graduating, and had great things to say about her experience. “Having someone that really felt like they genuinely cared and just wasn’t doing the work because it’s their job really made a big difference.”
Kosnosky encourages fellow and future participants to go along with the process of the program. “Anyone who is struggling, just give it a shot,” she said. “It’s definitely worth what you get in the end. Definitely.”
Participant referrals for the MAP program are accepted from any of the following sources: Jail, defense attorney, prosecutor, mental health provider, law enforcement, medical provider or family member. To learn more or make a referral to the MAP program, contact Roger Iino at riino@bridgeways.org.
Mar. 18, 2022
Meals on the move in Marysville
If you crave a little more variety in your dining options, you may be happy to hear that food trucks are now allowed within city limits.
The City Council recently approved changes that allow food trucks on private property for up to three days per week with certain guidelines. Food trucks can also be permitted for special events such as the Marysville Strawberry Festival and Merrysville for the Holidays.
After gathering input from Marysville restaurant owners and residents, Community Development Director Haylie Miller proposed the new regulations. The general public seemed very supportive of food trucks in Marysville, while restaurant owners raised concerns related to competition and the disproportionate amount of business costs between food trucks and brick-and-mortar establishments. To help address that concern, food trucks must be parked at least 100 feet from an existing restaurant and may not reside on any site permanently.
Food trucks within city limits are required to be reviewed and approved by the Snohomish Health District, and follow Department of Licensing regulations.
Feb. 11, 2022
Mother-in-law units made easier: Marysville City Council eases ADU regulations
The Marysville City Council has approved changes that will make it easier to build and permit mother-in-law housing units.
“Recent code modifications give more flexibility to property owners who are looking to build an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) on their property,” said Haylie Miller, Marysville’s Community Development Director.
The newly updated code allows for larger accessory dwelling units, which are secondary homes or apartments that share the building lot of a larger, primary home. In Marysville, these units can now be up to 50% of the size of the home. ADU permit fees were also reduced. Additional parking is no longer required in locations near major transit stops.
The ABCs of ADUs - AARP.org
Oct. 21, 2021
The story behind the Civic Center mural
You may have noticed an attractive new feature of the Marysville Civic Center currently under construction. Installed on the building’s west side in mid-October, it celebrates our city’s link to the natural environment.
How was this mural design selected? It started with a public call for submissions back in January, searching for an artist to design and create original artwork that represents the unique character of our city. Marysville’s natural assets include easy access and scenic view of mountains, trees, river and delta lands. The goal was to find a design to complement the city’s natural beauty and the Northwest architectural style of the Civic Center.
A selection committee reviewed the mural design submissions and selected the art piece for display outside the new Civic Center.
The chosen selection was created by Jack Gunter, a prominent Pacific Northwest artist, writer and antique dealer specializing in the 20th century decorate styles. Self-taught using the ancient technique of egg tempera painting, Gunter exhibited his works in several New England museums and in an Andrew Wyeth and Family show in the Sharon (N.H.) Arts Center in 1979. That year a studio fire claimed all of his existing paintings and landed him in Washington State with a pickup truck, his dog and the clothes on his back. Since moving to Camano Island, he has created over 1,000 additional paintings.
The mural was installed by hand with individual tiles earlier this month, and captured on video.
The new Civic Center will open in stages and be fully open to the public in mid-2022. It will consolidate most city services onto one modern, energy-efficient facility housing Police, Jail, Municipal Court, City Council chambers, City Hall, Community Development and Public Works Engineering offices. This will offer residents and visitors a one-stop-shop for city customer service functions and an attractive new public amenity in Marysville's downtown core.
(Photo courtesy: Mark James)
Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, KOSME President Hakdo Kim, Arlington Mayor Barb Tolbert and Marysville City Council President Kamille Norton at the ceremony in Everett Sept. 24. Earlier that day the Korean business delegation toured the CIC.
Aug. 20, 2021
Marysville celebrates new connection to Centennial Trail
Marysville walkers, runners, bikers and hikers can now enjoy a new link between the Bayview Trail and the Centennial Trail.
The new addition connects the city’s Bayview Trail to the regional Centennial Trail. The Centennial Trail spans 30 miles, connecting Snohomish, Lake Stevens, Arlington and points in between for the more than 400,000 community members that enjoy it every year.
The City of Marysville celebrated the Bayview Trail extension with Mayor Jon Nehring, City Councilmembers, local elected officials and community members already out and about on the new trail path.
“It’s a huge thing for our community, [and] a huge thing regionally… It opens up a whole new connector,” said Mayor Nehring during the grand opening. “You wouldn’t believe the people that are now coming through from other cities and coming down to try the Bayview Trail out.”
Directions
This new connection is located near Marysville Getchell High School. Trail users may park in the high school Lot E when school is not in session. It’s a short walk east from there to the trailhead.
Please note that the trail is designed for hiking, biking, skating, skateboarding/longboarding, and equestrian use only. No motorized vehicles are allowed.
For a deeper look into trails and scenic spots Marysville has to offer, visit our Recreation page.
Aug. 17, 2021
Construction project to improve local fish passage, boost development at Cascade Industrial Center
It’s oh-fish-ial! Construction is current-ly underway along State Route 531 in Marysville, but the work isn’t just focused on development. It will help fish populations too, building a fish-passable culvert beneath 152nd Street NE.
The Edgecomb Creek relocation and 152nd Street culvert projects will open up development options for the Cascade Industrial Center and reroute Edgecomb Creek. Moving the creek will mean restoring it to a more natural state, improving passage for migratory fish like steelhead trout, cutthroat trout, chum salmon and coho salmon.
The Work Being Done
By realigning Edgecomb Creek, two culverts that were once barriers to fish passage are being replaced, moving the creek so it no longer crosses under SR 531. Adding a new culvert allows the creek to flow more naturally, giving migratory fish access to another two miles of habitat.
Helping Migratory Fish
Salmon and other migrating fish need access to freshwater habitats for spawning, getting there after a journey through oceans and rivers spanning thousands of miles. Barriers like dams and culverts have contributed to the decline in fish populations.
Fish Passage Improvements in Washington State
The effort to improve fish passage is not only underway in Marysville, it’s also happening across Washington State, with plans to replace close to 1,000 culverts to improve fish passage under state roads. The Washington State Department of Transportation has been removing fish barriers caused by culverts under state highways since 1991. Since that time, WSDOT has completed 364 fish passage projects statewide, opening up 1,215 miles of habitat stream.
Click on the interactive map below to see where fish passage projects stand across the state, and which ones have been completed.
Focusing on Marysville, you can see one of the SR 531 project sites marked in orange, meaning there is a partial blockage. Slightly to the right, a location marked in green means the barrier has been corrected. To the right of that marker, a red dot means fish passage there is totally blocked.
Economic Development: What this project means for local jobs
Along with restoring natural fish habitat, relocating Edgecomb Creek will bring more development opportunity to the Cascade Industrial Center in Marysville and Arlington. Moving the creek parallel to the BNSF railroad spur will improve business access to resources. As part of its development permit, NorthPoint Development will relocate Edgecomb Creek, with plans to construct several industrial buildings at the Cascade Industrial Center over the next 10 years. City officials expect to add 20,000 more family-wage jobs in the industrial center over the next decade, helping residents work close to home and boosting the local economy.
Next Steps
During critical construction phases, traffic will be rerouted near the Edgecomb Creek project site. Road closures of 152nd Street Northeast are currently underway through Aug. 27. Detours are in place and Strawberry Fields remains open and accessible via 67th Avenue Northeast. During construction, 152nd Street will be widened and the culvert will be wide enough for future plans. The creek relocation is expected to be completed near the end of the September.