☀️The Sun Is HOT
Friday, July 22, 2022 - Vol. 01 No. 09
It was just a few weeks ago when our skies were mostly gray and long sleeves still fitting. This week the sun has been out and bright and hot; maybe we overshot just a bit.
Also, in today’s issue the Sun introduces a new regular contributor, Maggie Rothenberger. Her article is followed by a Marysville voter’s guide for the 2022 Primary. The Sun thanks Ben Smith sharing his recommendations.
☀️A Place to Love
by Maggie Rothenberger
Welcome to a new (hopefully) weekly section of the Sun! My name is Maggie Rothenberger, and the idea of my articles will be to highlight the lovely parts of Marysville. We’ll meet local business owners, visit various Marysville events, and interview some residents who are loving Marysville into further loveliness!
For the entirety of my short life, I have lived in Marysville, and I love it. I owe such loyalty to my dad, Sean Higgins. He and my mom made a conscious choice to stay in Marysville and seek to increase its loveliness. Their dedication instilled in me a love for my hometown. True, it can be an odd place, but as Joan Dabrowski—whose “Ode to Marysville” was featured in Vol. 01 No. 05 of the Marysville Sun—says, in order to love it, you have to embrace the quirkiness that is Marysville.
Ever since I have known Joan—she taught me art for a few years—she has been beautifying her surroundings, using photography, painting, gardening, and other types of media. However, when I interviewed her as she walked the Harborview Trail, which is her favorite spot in Marysville, I was surprised that she initially did not want to move to Marysville!
In 1991, when she and her husband were looking for a house, she was opposed to living in a town with “ville” at the end of the name, and did not love Marysville at all. They bought a house by the train tracks anyway, which she has loved for the past thirty-one years, adorning it with larkspurs, raspberries, and a barn quilt which she made herself. She has learned to love Marysville in her time here, and hopes to encourage other Marysville residents to love it too.
She says the key is to not focus on the negatives, but to choose to notice the positives instead, such as the beautiful trail through Ebey Slough. During our conversation, she paused on her walk to greet her favorite heron, whom she named Henrietta, and point out a bald eagle. It’s those little things she focuses her camera on, choosing to notice and delight in the beautiful or cute or quirky, not complaining that more of Marysville is not beautiful.
G. K. Chesterton, the colorful Catholic writer, posited in Orthodoxy that the Rome was not loved because it was already lovely, but rather that Rome was lovely because her citizens loved her. When I asked Joan how she would encourage her fellow Marysvillians to love it here more, she said, “Explore! Take your kids to parks; go places!” There are simply lots of little things to love in this city, and focusing on them is far more motivating towards good than merely enduring.
So, take your kids to Jennings Park, take an afternoon and peruse the various 3rd street shops, explore the Harborview Trail, and who knows, maybe you’ll find a new place to love!
For more about Joan visit her Facebook page for Plain Jane Photography, and get her books on Etsy: Be Nice to Spiders and A Circle of Seasons.
Here is one of Joan’s favorite pictures that she’s taken of the trail:
☀️2022 Primary Voter Recommendations
by Ben Smith
Ben is a husband and father of school age children, a lifelong resident of western WA. He has been volunteering politically and civically in Marysville and Snohomish County since 2016 as a Precinct Committee Officer with the Snohomish County Republican Party, helping candidates and good traditional conservative causes such as the local food bank, his church, children’s school, etc. He is motivated to help make Marysville a greater place to live, work, and grow up.
NOTE: Many voting district boundaries changed this year. The City of Marysville is located inside the 1st U.S. (federal) House Representative Congressional District and parts of the city are in either the 38th or 39th WA Legislative Districts. District boundary maps and information are available on the Snohomish County government website elections pages.
U.S. Senate (statewide): Recommending Tiffany Smiley over Patty Murray (incumbent) and rest of the field. Smiley will be a very well-qualified and beneficial Senator to Marysville, to WA, and to our country. She has already privately accomplished much to help veterans with her activism to successfully motivate reform of the Department of Veteran Affairs nationally and locally. In contrast, Murray has been in office for 5 terms now—30 years of rubber stamping extremely left-wing Seattle-woke policies—while holding down a chair and desk projecting a moderate image. Mrs. Smiley is a better mom in a better pair of tennis shoes than Murray ever was. Smiley’s husband is a retired US Army officer and war veteran.
U.S. House Representative Congressional District 1 (all of Marysville): Recommending Vincent J. Cavaleri over Suzan DelBene (incumbent). Mr. Cavaleri is a Snohomish County Sheriff’s Deputy and Mill Creek City Councilman. He is exceptionally qualified to be the next Congressman for the 1st District, working hard to keep police coverage funded and Mill Creek well-governed. DelBene represents failed Seattle-style policies and not so much the interests of average Marysvillers. Cavaleri served in the US Army Reserve.
WA Secretary of State (statewide): Recommending Keith Wagoner over all of the several other hopefuls. He is a former mayor of Sedro-Woolley and is currently a WA State Senator, serving as the minority party Whip for the Republicans (the Whip is coordinator/exhorter-in-chief to get fellow Senators to vote on bills under consideration). He has what it takes in policy knowledge and experience to provide balance and proper governance in Washington State. Disclosure: I am acquainted with Keith Wagoner and Bob Hagglund, I’d be happy to support either in the general election. Hagglund and Miloscia are fine men, I believe that Wagoner is the best choice for us. Mr. Wagoner is a retired US Navy officer; he served as an aviator.
38th WA Legislative District Races (most of Marysville) – three races:
38th WA State Senator: Recommending Bernard Moody over Anita Azariah and June Robinson (incumbent). Mr. Moody is the best choice to defeat the extreme far-left and radically woke June Robinson, who has sponsored and supported many of the worst bills passed and signed into the law by Governor Inslee recently. Moody is experienced in law enforcement, and the right man for the job. That being said, Azariah would also be a good choice should she win the primary, and both Moody and Azariah would do a far better job in Olympia than Robinson does. Disclosure: both Moody and Azariah are acquaintances of mine, both are well-versed in policy and I wish them both well. Mr. Moody served in the US Marine Corps as an NCO.
38th WA State Representative Position 1: Recommending Gary Kemp over the rest of the field. Kemp is a local electrician, husband, and father, and he will be a good voice for Marysville in Olympia. Bert Johnson would also do well for us, however I believe that Kemp is the best choice this year.
38th WA State Representative Position 2: Recommending Mark James over the field of candidates. James is a well-regarded Councilman of the Marysville City Council. He and his wife have three adult sons, all of whom are serving in Law Enforcement and Public Service careers. He’ll be a great voice for the concerns of the citizens of Marysville and greater northern Snohomish County at the state capitol. He is a committed volunteer to many good causes. Disclosure: Mark is a friend of mine, and I rate him highly. He is a U.S. Army veteran.
39th WA Legislative District Races (parts of Marysville) – two races:
WA State Representative Position 1: Recommending both Robert Sutherland and Sam Low in this race. I am torn, as Sutherland has been serving well as the incumbent representative in the position faithfully, and Sam Low who is currently a Snohomish County Councilman is (disclosure) a friendly acquaintance of mine. Both of these men would serve well in the next term of office, I believe. Both Low and Sutherland are endorsed heavily by various individuals and groups. Sutherland has been an effective legislator. I believe that Sam Low would be an even more effective legislator in the office, in some ways. That being said, vote your conscience between these two men, folks.
WA State Representative Position 2: Recommending Carloyn Eslick for reelection in this race over her challengers. She has been serving as representative and accomplishing some good in Olympia, and deserves reelection. She is a former mayor of Sultan. Eslick is an effective legislator.
☀️On the Calendar
National Night Out - Tuesday, August 2, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM at Jennings Park with the Marysville Police Department and Marysville Fire District. See the city website for more information.
Rummage Sale - Friday and Saturday, August 5-6, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM at Evangel Classical School - 9015 44th Dr. NE.
☀️Friday Fur and Fat
Want to share an announcement about an upcoming event? Interested in having your business highlighted? Want to complain with a letter to the editor? Reply on the socials (Twitter or Facebook) or send an email to: office@marysvillesun.com
There are a lot of very beautiful spots around Marysville. I know that I have come to appreciate the town more every year. ...And regarding those ridiculously cute bunnies, that's why I don't raise them, even though my good friend breeds Mini Lops, and keeps asking me to join his project. Just too cute. Also: Don't forget to vote.