Continuing the Linwood Times’ Year in Review series, the Linwood Times is featuring the top lifestyle stories of 2023. From LGBTQ+ issues to breaking barriers, dog shows, protests and volunteerism, a lot of history was made in several Snohomish County cities in 2023.
Local students take to the streets to demonstrate support for Palestine
In November, about 50 students at Mountlake Terrace High School walked out of class to support Palestine.Students began their strike at 9 a.m., marched down 44th Street and returned around 11 a.m.
During the march, students chanted phrases such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” while holding placards that read “ceasefire,” “Let Gaza live,” and “Your Zionism is genocide.” Ta.
School authorities sent emails to parents to inform them of the protest, but students remained undaunted. Students who participated in the strike were treated as truants by the school, but no further punishment was imposed.
Kamiak students walk out calling for gun control
Kamiak High School students joined thousands of people across the state in walkouts protesting gun violence in April. The strike was organized in Kamiak by the student group Kamiak Demands Action and lasted about 30 minutes at noon.
The protests are part of a larger national movement in response to a spike in school shootings, and data from the CDC showing that firearms are the leading cause of death among children and adolescents. Some are.
Sadly, just five months after the strike, 15-year-old Kamiak student Brian Tamia was killed in a drive-by shooting.
Son of Hamas founder stands with Israel at Snohomish event amid statewide protests
Mosab Hassan Yousef, a writer and son of Hamas co-founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, spoke in Snohomish in November and condemned the attacks by Hamas.
“Hamas is a terrorist group by all standards,” Youssef said. “Actually, terrorist is an understatement because what they did on October 7th was barbaric…Hamas started the war, which is why we are witnessing it now. is the result of that war.”
Yousef, a former member of Hamas, defected to Israel in 1997. He worked for the Israeli Security Agency, also known as Shabak or Shin Bet, for 10 years before applying for political asylum in the United States in 2007.
Seattle Seahawks help Linwood Food Bank amid volunteer shortage
In September, four former Seattle Seahawks volunteered at the Linwood Food Bank as part of the Back to Action campaign.
The Back to Action campaign works with organizations like Northwest Harvest, Safeway, Washington Food Coalition, Vault89 Strategies, Seattle Seahawks, and King5 to raise awareness and increase volunteer efforts at food banks across Washington.
Red Bryant, Clint Gresham, Paul McQuistan, and Brandon Mebane were members of the 2013 Seahawks that won Super Bowl XLVIII over the Denver Broncos to learn about the facility and eat oats and rice. We spent the day splitting up.
Community discussion on fentanyl with author Sam Quinones
In September, a coalition of mayors and business leaders hosted author and journalist Sam Quinones for a free presentation and Q&A on the fentanyl crisis.
Mr. Quinones’ presentation was based on research from his award-winning books, The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth and Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic. It was based on He has his 35 years of experience in this field and has been documenting the drug epidemic for almost a decade.
Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney also interviewed Quinones on an episode of the department’s podcast in March.
$1.75 million settlement in Linwood prison suicide lawsuit
The city of Lynwood and Tilhas Tesfasion’s family reached a $1.75 million settlement in September. Tesfasion died by suicide at Linwood Prison on July 13, 2021, sparking protests and demands for answers.
The settlement did not acknowledge liability for the City of Lynwood or the five employees named in the wrongful death lawsuit. The city also agreed to pay “reasonable attorney’s fees and costs” and provide annual training on suicide prevention, mental health and other related topics.
Tesfasion’s death in police custody was the first in-custody death at the Lynwood prison since it opened in 1994.
Lynwood actor John Meggison wins Best Actor at Soul Café Awards Ceremony
The Soul Café Awards named Lynwood-based actor John Megison the 2023 Actor of the Year at a ceremony held at the Rainier Center for Arts and Culture in September.
Meggison began her career as a model in 2019 and has since appeared in films such as The Ghost of Ravenwood and The Conjuring: Beyond.
Megison’s next role will be in The Legend of Johnny Jones, which also stars Danny Trejo, Tom Sizemore, Jake Busey and Kevin Sorbo.
Born in the Pacific Northwest, the Soul Café Awards are an annual event that recognizes and empowers artists.
Mukilteo celebrates successful dog show at Lighthouse Park
The Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce held the first Great Mukilteo Dog Show in July. The event was held at Lighthouse Park and featured over 50 dogs of various breeds and ages.
The winner of the grand prize was Rango the Wonder Dog, a 12-year-old standard poodle.
There were 15 different categories in the show: Best Smile, Best Bark, Cutest Puppy, Scruffiest, Best Senior, Best Jump, Fluffiest, Best Lookalike, Best Mongrel, Best Tricks, Best Year, and Best. The best haircut, the best legs, the best wiggles, and the best outfit.
After the success of the first show, the city intends to make the dog show an annual event.
Everett calls on Arlington to support LGBTQIA+ community/Arlington Pride
As tensions rise in the run-up to the second annual Arlington Pride event in July, the Everett City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting the LGBTQIA+ community and events.
“We join in support of Arlington’s LGBTQIA+ community,” the resolution reads in part, and the Everett City Council says, “The City of Arlington will protect all those who participate in Arlington Pride events. “We ask that appropriate safety measures be taken in advance to protect participants.” From hate crimes and threats…
A week later, the Pride event, dubbed Camp Pride, drew hundreds of participants, increased police presence, and a small group of protesters.
Marilyn Quincy: The deep roots of a Snohomish County legend
Marilyn Quincy received the Snohomish County Black Heritage Commission’s Legacy Award, the Marilyn Quincy Award, during April’s Red and White Banquet.
Quincy’s family settled here in the 1880s, before Washington became a state, so she and her family have had a huge impact on Snohomish County’s history. Everett’s William P. Stewart Highway is named for her great-grandfather, a black Civil War veteran in the Union Army.
Quincy himself worked for the Washington State Employment Security Department for more than 36 years and was recognized by the state Legislature in House Resolution 4649. He also served on the Snohomish County Housing Authority Board for 15 years.
Women-only Lynwood Spa must admit trans women before surgery, judge rules
A Western Washington District Court judge’s decision to order Olympus Spa in Lynwood to allow pre-operative transgender women into the women’s-only facility sparked rallies and counter-demonstrations in June.
The court oversaw the case after Des Moines resident Haven Wilvitch filed a complaint with the Washington State Commission on Human Rights. Mr Wilvich claimed that after being invited to a gathering at Olympus Spa, he called ahead to see if he would be allowed entry and was told he was not welcome.
Olympus Spa, also known as the “Nude Women’s Spa,” offers a traditional Korean nude spa experience and has been operating for 20 years with women-only rules.
Handup Project shaken by revelations of misconduct against its founder
The Hand Up Project fired its founder Robert Smiley in March following an internal investigation into allegations that Smith used the nonprofit’s reputation to extort thousands of dollars in donations. Board members allege that Smiley regularly solicited donations on social media and implied that the funds would go to nonprofit organizations.
An individual claiming to be Smiley commented on our article and vehemently denied the allegations.
The Lynwood-based Hand Up Project helped people experiencing homelessness due to substance abuse. However, The Hand Up Project appears to have been replaced by Advocates Recovery Services. The Linwood Times plans to follow up on this matter.
More than 2,600 Afghan and Ukrainian refugees now call Snohomish County home
Back in February, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers announced that the county, in partnership with local nonprofits, has supported and supported the resettlement of more than 2,600 Afghan and Ukrainian refugees since 2021. It was announced that there was.
Snohomish County Human Services contracts with Volunteers of America Western Washington and Refugee and Immigrant Services Northwest to provide resettlement services, including finding temporary and long-term housing, employment services, transportation, rental assistance, and school enrollment. We offer
At the time of publication, at least 425 families were able to secure long-term housing, more than 1,000 people met their employment goals, and more than 2,100 people received clothing and household goods.
Lynwood issues certificate of occupancy for opioid treatment center
Although the certificate of occupancy was issued on Dec. 19, 2022, subsequent controversy over Acadia Healthcare’s opioid treatment center dominated a Lynwood City Council meeting in January.
Most of the council members and residents who spoke were in favor of the facility, but some objected to the facility’s 443-foot proximity to the Alderwood Boys & Girls Club and the lack of transparency behind the announcement. There were many.
The City of Lynwood has since updated its guidelines on what permit applications must be notified to the City Council to prevent similar facilities from leaking again.
