The Daily Herald from Everett, Washington • 17

THE HERALD RIDAY SEPTEMBER 6 2002 Local aMBmlfeB Em lrBgLA jw irefighter pinups Two Snohomish County men are featured in the 2003 Washington firefighters calendar raising money for the state bum foundation Page B3 inside rn THIS SECTION LLJ Time Out B4 Obituaries B6 Opinion B7 i ffl ft I Correction Longtime Index resi dent Wesley Smith was 90 years old when he died Aug 28 He moved to Index with his family when he was 5 years old age at death and when his family moved to Index were in correct in an article on Page Bl Sunday Day of Caring coming Sept 13 More than 1200 people have volun teered to help United Way of Snohomish County with its annual Day of Caring on Sept 13 The day starts with a kickoff rally from 7:30 to 8:30 am at Everett Memorial Stadium 3900 Broadway The public Is Invited or in formation call Patty Igo 425 921 3459 What areyou reading? fS So what are folks Spreading in Snohomish gland Island counties? find out we looked at localized bestseller lists on Amazoncom Thursday One thing was evi dent: Har ir Kill IM about (every qoC'ty we looked at the Potter7oJt)ooks occupied the top ySpOtS That was true in Everett where it was di all Potter until No 5jowhich was the busi kness book Ln Moved My The same was true in Arlington except No "5 was by Phillip McGraw you know Dr Phil And in cSnohomish No 5 was novel Poison wood by Barbara Kingslover Lynnwood was even more Potter crazy giv ing it all five top spots jQjThe book "'was No 6 Langley gave only the top three spots to King Harry The No 4 book was Lance Armstrong's autobiography Not About the fol lowed by Dr 1 In Edmonds HarryrPotter(occupied only the top three spots The book was No 4 followed by Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach "Their Kids About Mon ey That the Poor and Middle Class Do Lake Stevens was an anomaly Harry Potter was No 1 but second place was "Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Men i tai and Physical followed by "The actor" by Bill wood" at No 4 and back to Harry Potter Call us If you have an item for YI call Kristi ran at 425 339 3451 If you have a news tip or an idea for a local story call the city desk at 420 or mail newshound tlLheraldnetcom Mtn chief tiles sterner claim The police chief asks $500000 in damages saying a city councilman falsely accused him of doing something illegal By Cathy Logg HeraldWriter SUIIAN Sultan Police Chief red Walser has filed a $500000 claim for damages against the city alleging that Councilman Rob Criswell slandered him The claim filed Tuesday states that Criswell acting as a city offi cial falsely accused Walser of hav ing committed a crime That act damaged professional reputation and standing in the community causing emotional pain and suffering his claim states The city has 60 days to decide whether to accept or reject the claim Criswell allegedly went to A Touch of Class a business owned by Judy Perkins on Aug 30 and told her that Mayor CH Rowe had proof that Walser had done red Walser something ille gal according to a witness statement by Perkins Criswell later came back to the store and tried to con vince her that he hadn't said that Perkins wrote Criswell had heard of the possible lawsuit and was trying to cover his tracks and make me think that I had her statement said Neither Criswell nor Rowe could be reached for comment 3l Thursday In July shortly after the Sultan Summer Shindig festival Rowe asked Walser to resign When Walser refused Rowe placed him on paid administrative leave Walser said the mayor told him he wanted to go in a different di rection but explain what that meant The mayor has pro vided no explanation to the pub lic about why Walser was sus pended despite numerous Sultan residents packing city council meetings and urging Rowe to ex plain his actions or let Walser re turn to work Under state law an employee can be placed on an indefinite suspension that is not a discipli nary action if the per formance is under review or in vestigation Rowe has refused to say what he is investigating but city attorney Grant Weed said suspension is not a dis ciplinary action Other city officials say unaware of any complaints or disciplinary actions in personnel file or any reason why he would be suspended Most council members said they know why Rowe suspended I See SULTAN Page B2 i The one room schoolhouse in North Dakota where Eldon Thoreson 76 learned to read and write still stands The desks are gone but Thoreson found memories there School reunion of one Mayor manager choice for voters With no children of his own Eldon Thoreson takes the Snohomish school strike in stride He makesno arguments either way in the wrangling over teachers pay Still he help but think of Mrs McCann He recall her first name but the 76 year old Sno homish man will never forget the education she provided in a one room schoolhouse back in his native North Dakota was always there no matter how cold it was and the coldest was 38 below zero She was always there and had the fire said Thoreson who lives near Harvey Airfield have changed But you he mused had one teacher teaching eight different grades and we all seemed to learn quite well I think we got a good It would be folly to equate a 1930s schoolhouse on the prairie to the complexities of education in 2002 Yet it's tough to hear Thoreson talk about the hard ships of his school days without giving a thought to teachers picketing Snohomish schools Tunes have changed right about that Thoreson think of his childhood as a hardship It was life all He regards growing up as one of seven children on a farm outside Verona ND as the best time of his life The school house was a seminal part of it This summer he took a solo road trip back to the weather beaten schoolhouse which stands empty four miles outside Verona in the southeast comer of the state made a sentimental jour said Dick Myrick 78 a friend from Amer ican Legion Post No 96 of Sno homish Myrick was touched by Thoresoris description of driving the narrow road from Verona population 108 not knowing whether the old building would be there It was there minus steps paint and a few windows When he tried the door it opened A boyhood came flooding back Dan Bates The Herald Eldon Thoreson fondly recalls the education he received at a one room schoolhouse In North Dakota 7T I I 1 3 I I Hi Julie MuhlsteiW urniture was gone but blackboards remained had to figure out where I used to sit" he said There with Mrs McCann act ing as all things to all pupils young Eldon studied arithmetic history geography and English had to write and be able to spell And our penmanship had to be clear we had to hold our pen just so in our Thoreson said Mrs McCann ran a tight ship she laid out the work you had to get busy There were certain times be teaching the younger A warning was a slap on the desk with a ruler meant you better straighten up If you you got it across the you know Thoresoris backside was usu The one room schoolhouse has seen better days but Is still standing near Verona ND Irww OKI UmmMW ally spared But this gentleman from Verona did have to sit in a comer wearing a dunce cap spitball violations he said A four mile walk to school is no myth kids That was his one way trek In winter he and two brothers rode the family work horse lorrie Their mother put baked potatoes in their pockets to warm their hands Before and after school there were 14 cows to milk Summer time there was harvest we were 10 or 11 years old We had all the work we could han he said Thoresoris formal education continue long past the schoolhouse He left high school worked in construction joined the Navy and served in World War II and the Korean War eventually settling in the SeeMUHLSTElN Page B2 Schubert juiy told details of divorce talk ByScottNorth HeraldWriter An Arlington man accused of murder in the 1989 disappear ance of his wife was on the brink of a divorce that could have cost him custody of his children a Snohomish County jury was told Thursday Moreover there were signifi cant assets at stake for David Schubert 62 prosecutors showed inancial records put into evi dence Thursday showed Schu business and property were worth at least $700000 when his wife Juliana 30 dis appeared Schubert is charged with first degree murder in a case that prose cutors contend David Schubert is a killing minus the body Schubert has long maintained that his wife simply walked away leaving behind her car her cash and twn sons then ages 6 and 8 The children told police their mother got into a red car driven by a blond woman and left But the missing friends and family say that is im probable and that Juliana Schu bert was a doting mother who never would have abandoned her children Prosecutors are trying to build a case tliat Schubert killed his wife and hid her re mains because he was losing control of his family and finan cial future Donald Carter an Everett at torney told jurors Juliana Schu bert came to him a few months before her June 30 1989 disap pearance to ask about divorcing her husband main thrust through this entire process was the kids and her retaining Carter said The lawyer said he told Juliana See TRIAL Page B2 El Marysville residents will decide Sept 17 between retaining an: elected mayor or hiring a city manager By Brian Kelly HeraldWriter MARYSVILLE Should it stay or should it go? Marysville voters go to the polls Sept 17 to decide whether the city should change its form of government from council mayor to council manager and abolish the position of elected mayor If Proposition 1 is approved City Hall would be run by a hired manager Supporters originally said they wanted the change so they could oust Mayor Dave Weiser Some in Marysville have been angry at Weiser for keeping quiet about the police investigation of Tom' Grady when he was running for1 city council last year i But supporters now say the proposition is more about im proving government than show ing Weiser the door isn't an issue about May or Weiser an issue about choice and the long term future of said Jan Gus tavson spokeswoman for Re form Now the grass roots group that led the petition drive for the ballot measure Marysville has had a council mayor government since 1891 But supporters say changing government could save the city money and mean greater accountability from city officials have outgrown our cur rent structure and time for a Gustavson said cities our size have moved or are planning to move to a city man The measure needs a simple majority to pass Councilman Mike Leighan has been leading the opposition to Proposition 1 If approved cit izens would no longer be able to vote for mayor Leighan said "People talked to are adamant They like to have the ability to vote their mayor in and have an elected official they can hold accountable" Leighan said Under the council manager form of government the city would still have a mayor But that person would be elected by the council from among its seven members Leighan said having a city manager might actually cost the city more Additional staff may be needed he said and managers would probably get hefty severance packages when they leave See MARYSVILLE Page B2 III i.