1. CORRECTION: In my refs. to Bonnie Sears, Founder - it should have read South Whidbey Genealogy Society ! 2. I unsubscribed my PSR D-version on my clarkw7iml@juno.com & of course subscribed to this w7iml@juno.com site for my PSR-D digest version, just to try to clarify the confusion as my e-mail address after all the glitch-seeking that I experienced. I saw this article in The Herald, Everett, WA and thought it worthy to share to Puget Sound devotees, as sometimes an article such as this can be of help to someone doing their research. Also, it is gratifying to see that some teachers are able to take an idea and turn it into a very worthwhile project with their students, teach history, family values, and produce meaning to the value of Legacy of the community in which they are a part - which in the long run benefits the region, state, and country. So, here is one I see as being of Value to us all: QUOTED FROM THE HERALD, Thurs. Jan 21,1999 B Section called Local News, pp. 1B & 4B. with PIX- Stanwood stories History turns on middle school students Story by Peggy Wendel, Herald Writer Photos by Justin Best, Herald Photographer STANWOOD - - Port Susan Middle School students have been digging into the past with a project to enhance the west Stanwood historic walking tour. They had such a blast, they decided to dig into east Stanwood's history, too. Resource teacher Clarene Ricarte's seventh- and eighth-grade classes are working with the Stanwood Area Historical Society to delve into the history of buildings and places. The students were inspired by the society's west Stanwood walking tour to research local history and create informational plaques. In the process, they're getting a sense of Stanwood's roots as a riverside mill town while they're making connections in their changing community. "We're finding that a lot of Standwood's history is buried. We're trying to bring it to thr surface," Ricarte said. "A lot of history was already dug out on the west side for the brochure, so we dug out the east side." East Stanwood was built around the Great Northern depot, one mile east of the already existing Stanwood. Stanwood was incorporated in 1903. East Stanwood was incorporated in 1922. The two were consolidated in 1960. The students walked to owners of historic buildings to compare the old with the new. They've interviewed old-timers at nursing homes, located old photographs and took photographs of how things look now. Students discovered that the Gunderson building, on 271st Street NW near 88th Avenue NW, used to house both the undertaker and the doctor. "The kids thought it was hilarious," Ricarte said. Jeremiah Austin, 13, was intirugued that the H & H Railroad stretched one mile from Stanwood to East Stanwood. It ran lumber and people from the west side of town, near the Stillaguamish River, to the east side where the Great Northern depot was built. "I never really knew Standwood had this much history in it. It's pretty neat that I could find out more about Stanwood and that it has tones of history," Jeremiah said. What is now the Standwood Pub and Grill, on 271st Street NW near the railroad tracks, used to be part of the Bartz Hotel. Alex Gedstad remembered going there as a child. It's set back from the road because that was where the H & H train turned around, the end of the line. People often parked next door to get meat out of rented lockers. The train would pull up and block their cars. They'd be stuck for two or three hours until the next run. Bessie's Cafe was once located east of the Bartz Hotel, where Emma's Cottage now stands. Mason Powers, 13, interviewed Bessie Templeton, who ran the cafe. Mason said Templeton, who ran the cafe. Mason said Templeton's eyes lit up when she talked about how they did things in the old days. She gave high school athletes free milk shakes when they won their games. "She said that they never lost," Mason said. "She told about how people made clothing out of flour and potato sacks. That wouldn't be too nice. They made underwear and stuff. That would be too itchy. It would be hard to live like that." "I like going out into our community and finding out what our town is about," Sarah Daoust, 14, said. "It's really fun. It doesn't bother me that it's more homework." "This is applied learning. it goes beyond reading and writing in the classroom because we're sharing what we're learning with others," Ricarte said. The students are making plaques in class to share their research. The plaques, coated with weatherproof plastic, will be place at sites of historical interest on both sides of town in FRebruary. Port Susan Middle School PTA and Stanwood Camano Area Foundation donated money to help with materials. The next project will be to publish a walking tour brochure for Stanwood's east side. Historic society president Dave Eldridge enjoys working with the students to keep interest in history alive. "The more we can get the kids involved, the better off we'll be," Eldridge said. "There's a future to keep it going." Stanwood"s Historic West End Walking Tour brochure is available at the D.O. Pearson House Museum, 27112 102nd Ave. NW, Stanwood, or at any Snohomish County tourism bureau. Museum hours are Wednesdays 1 to 4 p.m., Fridays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays 2 to 5 p.m. You can leave a message for Peggy Wendel by calling 425-339-3097. Returning to p. 1B, there are 3 pictures accompanying the article. The 1st shows wood plaques being sanded and readied for finishing, labeling, etc. and the caption reads- Port Susan Middle School students sand and scrub wooden plaques that will become markers along a(sic) historical tour of Stanwood. Port Susan teacher Clarene Ricarte's seventh-and eighth-grade classes are woking with the Standwood Area Historical Society to delve into the history of the city's bujildings and places. A 2nd picture is labeled - Historical materials consulted by the students included this history of Stanwood. The photos are of Stanwood founder D.O. Pearson and his wife, Clara Stanwood Pearson. A 3rd picture shows - James Hemmingsen sands a wooden plaque that will be placed at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church. An insert in the article is "She told about how people made clothing our of flour and potato sacks. That wouldn't be too nice. They made underwear and stuff. That would be too itchy. It would be hard to live like that." - - Mason Powers,. 13th-year-old Port Susan Middle School student, who interviewed longtime Stanwood resident Bessie Templeton as part of a school project on the city's history. END OF THE ARTICLE FROM THE HERALD AS QUOTED ABOVE. COMMENT: Now, there is a worthwhile project that can involve whole classes allowing each student to apply talents that they may not have realized they had, produce something to show for their efforts, work as individuals, work as teams, utililze the curriculum (reading, writing, spelling, math, science, applied arts, artistic talents, innovation, imagination - you name it and come out with a much more interesting and creative project that they will recall for years, and which adds to the history and flavor of the community. It is these kinds of projects which get kids involved in meaningful activities that makes the curriculum really interesting in place of a dull subject where relationships lack to motivate and enhance the concepts that are sought in education.). In addition, when the parents of that or any other community learn of what is being done in the schools, they feel that it is time well spent, as the enthusiasm usually spreads among the parents and the community to support such a worthwhile project. Then, there is the Legacy of it which is left - the history which is recorded - the PIX - the interest - among the community, and among students in following years, as something worthy of the time spent. Hooray for Skagit County, Port Susan Middle School of Stanwood, teacher Clarene Ricarte, students of her 7th & 8th grades, and all those who contributed to, and supported the Project that is being ACCOMPLISHED ! Carroll in Snohomish. >>> ><>< <<< ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]