Hopson awarded by AWC

ARLINGTON – Council Member Mike Hopson recently earned a Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities for his commitment to ongoing learning and bringing new ideas to the community .

The program recognizes city elected officials for accomplishing training in four core areas: Roles, responsibilities and legal requirements; public sector resource management; community planning and development; and effective local leadership. Hopson completed more than 30 hours of training credits to earn the distinction.

Hopson was elected to the council in November 2015. He serves as council liaison for Transportation and Community and Economic Development issues. Previously, Hopson served on the Arlington Airport Commission and on the Snohomish County Tomorrow Community Advisory Board.

Weston accredited

ARLINGTON – Weston High School recently completed successful accreditation and was presented with a plaque to celebrate the milestone.

Bob Estes, the high school’s Association of Educational Service District coach, presented the award to Principal Will Nelson at Monday’s Arlington School Board meeting.

The AESD network grants six-year status for high schools based on meeting high-quality standards, test scores, discipline and student achievement. A team also conducts a site visit.

In a presentation, students and teachers talked about Weston’s focus on restorative justice and talking circles to help build a unique social and academic culture.

Estes said the AESD team came away impressed by their visit.

“The word you hear is culture,” he said. “It was evident to us the culture had improved. We had a wonderful time. That’s not our objective, but we had a great time.”