10 years ago 1998

n City officials are sticking with a six-month-old teen curfew, citing its effectiveness, despite little formal enforcement. A similar curfew is currently under challenge in state courts and city attorney Grant Weed advised police officers not to enforce the law. There is little evidence of the effectiveness of the 11 p.m. curfew. City officials hoped to give officers a tool to keep teens from getting in trouble. At hearings last year, business owners wanted the city to address vandalism and graffiti they blamed teens for. Lt. Dennis Peterson said teens are, for the most part, staying away from city streets, although it is unclear whether the curfew is the reason. He said publicity about the curfew last summer informed enough area teens to be effective. In Petersons estimation, seasonal factors may be most effective keeping teens off the streets. Its winter and the weather keeps them inside, he said. Police officers were seeing more teens out late in the fall when school started, but the number has dropped recently, he said. Marysvilles curfew, passed last spring and effective June 1, was the subject of several well-attended and noisy City Council hearings. When passed, Council member Otto Herman requested the city review the law after six months and that the law expire after three years unless the Council extends it. There was not much to review, Weed said. He explained that police officers have had very little contact with teenagers relating to the curfew since it started. Police officers are taking a hands-off approach to the law under instructions from Weed, Peterson said. Weed advised the police department to take it easy after a similar law in Bellingham was challenged successfully. Three judges in the State Court of Appeals in Seattle overturned the Bellingham curfew June 2, the day after the Marysville ordinance went into effect. At the request of Whatcom County, the state Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. The states highest court will schedule the hearing next month. Lawyers at the Washington branch of the American Civil Liberties Union threatened Marysville and other Washington cities with a lawsuit if they enforced their curfews. Director Jerry Sheehan asked the city to repeal the law in a letter to Mayor David Weiser. The city opted to stick with the curfew pending the Supreme Court decision. The law is still on the books, Weed said. City Council member John Myers, one of the laws main backers, said the curfew continues to be effective. I talk to young people all the time. They are still talking about the curfew, he said. In Myers experience, teenagers are either going home early or taking back roads to avoid contact with officers, which he said demonstrated the laws affect on Marysville teenagers. Peterson said officers still stop teens to check identification. Weed added they can still advise teens to go home, but they are not taking them to the station or into custody.

n In a ritual enjoyed by property owners biennially, voters are asked to approve a property tax to pay for education in Marysville. The school district is requesting $19.5 million to pay for education over the next two years. Should the ballot measure pass, the school district will get 10 percent more money than it did two years ago. Marysville property owners will pay nearly $4 for every $1,000 they property is worth. The rate is one of the highest in Snohomish County and reflects the economic base of the school district. Our community is essentially homes. We dont have Boeing or a great industrial base, said Superintendent Richard Eisenhauer. He explained that Marysville relies much more on individuals than on larger businesses. There has been little public opposition to the levy. A campaign in favor of the measure has bought newspaper ads and put yellow signs around the district. Ron Young, who in the past opposed a school levy, is urging voters to pass the measure this time. He bought newspaper advertisements aimed at making sure voters know how much the levy will cost. The purpose is not to be angry or call names, he said. His support of the levy passage is not an endorsement of education in Marysville. Its an awful lot of money to produce mediocre results if you look at standardized test results, he said. Eisenhauer said the district is looking for money that will keep the schools at their current level. The 10 percent increase is close to the 10 percent growth in the number of students in Marysville schools since the last levy. The levy money itself will be 17 percent of the total district budget. The levy is the second largest source of money 75 percent comes from the state. Young wants voters to ask why the money isnt doing more for the students. We are spending a lot of money and were not getting real good value, he said. Test scores have improved by one point since voters passed a levy two years ago, he said, and that means we are average. He declined to speculate why education wasnt improving. I have all sorts of opinions about what we can do, but theyre just opinions. I am not a professional educator, he said. He is optimistic about what he said were recent changes at the teachers union. At a recent luncheon, union leaders said they would no longer blindly support underperforming teachers. That was a wonderful thing that the union said after all these years, he said.

25 years ago 1983

n The sudden deafening vocal burst from a tightly packed Marysville crowd late Thursday evening signaled the end of an era and maybe the beginning of another. A solid half of the Mariner High School gymnasium proudly decked in Tomahawks red and white erupted into a wild celebration in honor of some new champions as wrestler Paul Curnett bounced to his feet in jubilant victory. No one could remember the exact date of Mariners last dual-meet wrestling loss, but every one of the 2,000 or more wrestling fans in the building the night of Jan. 20, knew it had been a long, long time. Curnetts close 6-4 decision in the second-to-last bout of the historic meeting provided the Tomahawks with what may be their first-ever win against Mariner 27-26 and abruptly halted Mariners incredible winning streak at 112. Ironically, all the havoc that was being wreaked on wrestling teams these past eight years when Mariner was putting together its amazing winning streak was the work of coach Bruce Burns, a past Marysville High School student. Burns, a 1961 Marysville High graduate who was going to school when Darrell DeGross was the Tomahawks wrestling coach, directed his Marauders to the first of the teams 112 straight victories shortly after losing to Lynnwood in 1975. The myth of invincibility, or whatever, is gone, said Marysville-Pilchuck teacher, coach and wrestling fan Chuck Manuel. Coach Rick Iversens wrestlers arent the first of the Tomahawks of 1982-83 to turn a pipe dream into reality. The swimming team of Scott Knowles, just before Christmas, presented the Mariner swimming power with its first loss in seven years. The stunning success of Iversen and Knowles who both promised great strides from their respective programs some four years back could well mean a couple of rate Western Conference AAA titles this year. It certainly puts them in the drivers seat in both sports. Its been a fun ride, said Mariner wrestling coach Burns after his first loss in more than eight years. I just dont know if I want to go through another eight years like that. DeGross, now assistant principal at Marysville-Pilchuck, was afraid the 1,000 or more Marysville fans in the audience might show a little too much support for their favorites. I think its one of the greatest high school events anybody here has been involved in, he said of the Tomahawks wrestling victory on the Mariner court. I was afraid our fans would get too excited. If they interfere, we could have ended up losing team points for unsportsmanlike conduct. It could have been crucial. DeGross added, I think its outstanding for the school and the community. We should recognize the fans all the parents and students. They have a great attitude and they show a lot of sportsmanship. Were Number One.

50 years ago 1958

n City building permits during 1957 totaled 100 for construction with a value of $322,891, according to figures compiled by the city clerk. Highest single permit was $60,000 for the new bowling alley. A permit for $33,000 was issued for a new medical clinic and one for $25,000 for a church. The list includes $63,500 for nine new homes; $44,000 for three duplexes; $15,000 for a four-unit motel; $7,500 for drug store; $3,000 for a real estate office; $500 for a drive-in; $15,000 for lodge hall; $1,000 for welfare center; $14,150 for 19 private garages and carports; $21,205 for remodeling seven commercial buildings; $19,011 for additions, alterations and repairs to homes; and $1,125 for minor repairs for commercial buildings.