Community briefly

Artsy benches

ARLINGTON – In an effort to bring more art to Arlington, the Arlington Arts Council has provided a new artsy look to three public benches.

Vicki Johnson painted the owl bench, located on Olympic Place in the Kent Prairie neighborhood. Sarah Arney and Monica Bretherton had their bench boards at Art in the Park this summer for attendees to help paint. The artists finished them up, and they are now located in Smokey Point, at the main intersection, and near the Senior Center.

New book

MARYSVILLE – Robert Graef, a former columnist for The Marysville Globe-The Arlington Times, has published another book, called “Teachable Moments.”

A retired teacher, his newest book looks at the challenges of running public schools. In his first venture into fiction, principal Tom Clausen has to deal with Charles Wainwright, an appointed superintendent with stolen credentials, and Garnet Pittman, a creative teacher who lacks social skills. When Clausen supports the teacher, Wainwright is threatened and charges him with disloyalty. Threats, transfers and demotions cause teachers to leave. Newspaper criticism, a faculty affair, porn at school, school board hostility and a coach’s inappropriate touching fuel the flames, leading to Clausen’s cardiac arrest. Previous books have been on ignorance, war on children, the health benefit of oats, a biography and environmental education.

Santa Run record

ARLINGTON – The annual Santa Run ended Dec. 15 with 11,391 pounds of food collected and a record-breaking $2,213 in monetary donations for the Arlington Food Bank.

The 30-year-old tradition runs 10 nights. The Arlington Fire Department, with help from hundreds of Santa’s elves, escorts Santa through the city on a Christmas-decorated fire engine collecting donations. The Arlington Police Department, city staff, Arlington Rotary Club and other service organizations also participated.

Christmas trees

ARLINGTON – As a community service, Boy Scout Troop 29 will collect live Christmas trees in Arlington neighborhoods Jan. 4, 2020. Place your tree near the curb in front of your home by 9 a.m. Trees must be free of decorations, tinsel, flocking and stands.

You can also drop off your tree beginning Jan. 1 until 2 p.m. Jan. 4, at the Legion Park parking lot (114 N. Olympic Ave.) in the designated area.

Donations may be placed in an envelope and attached to your tree or send to Boy Scout Troop 29, 20902 67th Ave. NE #195, Arlington, WA 98223.

Sawyer Brown concert

ARLINGTON – The award-winning country band Sawyer Brown will perform at Rivers Run Event Center Jan. 31 at 8 p.m.

Sawyer Brown made their debut on the TV show “Star Search,” winning the first season and the $100,000 grand prize, along with a recording contract with Capitol Records. The group has amassed three gold albums and 19 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs list, including the three chart-topping singles “Step That Step,” “Some Girls Do,” and “Thank God For You.”

Donate computers

MARYSVILLE – Are you planning to get or receive a new computer, laptop, tablet, phone, camera or game console this holiday season?

If so, you can donate your old piece of technology to someone in need.

At Legacy High School, students refurbish technology and put it back to work in the community and across the world. Locally, the program supplies Housing Hope, along with, low-income families and veterans with free technology. On a global scale, the computers they have built support schools, libraries, hospitals and orphanages in Haiti, Guatemala, and elsewhere, along with the United States.

For details email teacher Paul LaGrange at paul_lagrange@msd25.org

Planning Commission

MARYSVILLE – The city is seeking applications from residents who may want to serve on the Planning Commission.

Deadline to apply is Dec. 31.

The seven-member Planning Commission is an advisory board to the mayor and City Council on issues such as land use, critical areas and shoreline management planning, and long-range planning issues. The commission meets at 7 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesday each month at City Hall, 1049 State Ave. To apply, send a brief letter of interest and resume to the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, 1049 State Ave., Marysville, WA 98270.