NEWS BITES for May 11, 2022

Upcoming public free dump days postponed
 MONROE — 
The annual free dump day for Monroe has moved from May 21 to a tentative date in September, the city announced last week. A date is not set yet.
Mukilteo announced it is also postponing its free dump day.
County landfills are experiencing a backlog. Mukilteo said that “due to this build up, the county has asked cities in Snohomish to postpone any special collections” such as a free dump day.


Cascade View school mascot changing to the Cubs?
 SNOHOMISH — Out with the Thunderbird, in with the Cubs. The Cascade View Elementary plans to changes its mascot to the Cascade View Cubs. The school board is asked to approve the new mascot this week.
Other finalist ideas were the Cascade View Coyotes or Cascade View Orcas. The change is to adhere to a state law prohibiting tribal imagery being used as a school mascot; the Thunderbird is a spiritual creature in Native American lore.


 Former Everett Gospel Mission director Charlie Betts dies
 EVERETT — Charlie Betts, who led the Everett Gospel Mission homeless service in the late 1980s and early 1990s after retiring from a career in law enforcement, died March 20 at age 82. A mission shelter was built under his watch, his obituary says. He had retired from the Everett Police Department as a sergeant, and also served on the Everett School Board.
His family owned Betts Variety Store at the corner of Everett and Highland avenues. It was demolished to make way for
Interstate 5 when highway construction ripped through the Riverside and Lowell neighborhoods during the early 1960s.


 Monroe signs to arrive week of May 23

 MONROE — New city gateway monuments are set to arrive for installation the week of May 23 at the city entrances at
W. Main Street and at Lewis Street, the city said.


Everett to expand ability to gift paid leave time among city employees
EVERETT — The city is expanding a system where employees can come to the aid of other employees by transferring paid leave time to others as a gift. The city already offers this, but will be expanding the qualifications to employees who exhaust their paid leave because of military deployment, national and state disaster relief volunteer commitments, or from being hurt through domestic violence.
The City Council will be asked to vote on the expansion May 18.