Snohomish Tribune Vol 109, Nr.44 Wed Nov 4, 1998 Front Page QUOTED AS FOLLOWS: Picture - captioned-"Jack Davis, president at the senior center, moves brush aside for a view of gravestones. Picture, lower Left on page - captioned-"Some questions are still sitting in the bushes next to the center. (one large base stone of sandstone criss-crossed grooving, plus another lying back of it). Jana Alexander photo. Snohomish Senior Center on safe ground Judge's decision will allow center to stay at its current, controversial, site By Jana Alexander The City of Snohomish moved a little closer to construction of a youth center and heard a loud sigh of relief from members of the Snohomish Senior Center on Oct 26, when Superior Court Judge Charles French issued a decision in favor of the city, the Snohomish Senior Center and the Snohomish Valley Activities Council to remove the cemetery dedication from Pilchuck Cemetery, also known as Snohomish Cemetery. The dedication had to change before a youth center could be constructed there. (A box in the center of the article reads: "The seniors have no dispute with treating ancestors with respect. In fact, some of our own members have ancestors buried.") The cemetery is an integral part of the history of the Snohomish Indian people and the contemporary settlers of Snohomish County, court papers state. The trial's winning parties say the settlement will respect that history, while moving forward with present needs. The challenging parties, Ruth Moore, Carolyn Crawford and the Tulalip Tribes have not yet decided whether to file an appeal. The historic cemetery has three parcels: A and B are located next to the entrance of Pilchuck Park, parcel B is home to larger trees and a carpet of fall leaves, Parcel C was not part of the court's decision for rededication, and is located at the Pioneer Museum. Parcel C is separated from parcels A and B by Second Street. In 1947, the State of Washington condemned a portion of the original Snohomish Cemetery for the Second Street right-of-way, then state Highway 2. Had French decided for Moore, Crawford and the Tulalip Tribes, the SSC would have had to pony up around $100,000 "just for a place to put the" house used for SSC activities, Jack Davis, SCC President said. That estimate did not include payment for removal of electrical, phone and cable wires, or other expenses related to moving a building. SSc is a nonprofit organization, funded by dues, donations and bequeathment fund, and run by volunteers, said Brad Nelson, Snohomish City Treasurer. So, that move would have been devastating. "I think it's great it turned out the way it did," said Marge kellogg, a long-time SSC member who is on the advisory board. Kellogg made 31 calls to members of the SSC after the decision was made and heard 31 expressions of gratitude and joy. "The last six months was a strain," Kellogg said. The next step is creation of a financial report to the City Council regarding the city's costs. Next, the city will form a Discovery Monitoring Plan, which outlines how remains will be removed, identified and reinterred in local cemeteries, Nelson said. Formation of that plan requires meeting with representatives for Crawford, Moore and the Tulalip Tribes. The Discovery Monitoring Plan will be reviewed by Judge French before it is implemented, Nelson said. Nelson said that when the house currently used as a senior center was moved to the site, no evidence of burials was found. Davis said people at the senior center knew there was a cemetery there. But specifics of who and where are unknown, since the historic record is incomplete. Part of the court agreement included creation of a map showing precisely where bones are found during removal, and where they are reinterred. "The seniors have no dispute with treating ancestors with respect. In fact, some of our own members have ancestors buried" in the Snohomish Cemetery, Davis said. When the removal of bones begins, members of the senior will have a whole new predicament to deal with. "For a short period of time... we'll lose our parking lot," Davis said. That causes difficulties because some seniors use walking devices and would have difficulty parking at Pilchuck Park and walking up the steep hill, or parking someplace else and having a long walk to get to the SSC. To remedy that problem, The Snohomish Inn has offered use of two to three parking spots, and Davis is looking for alternative transportation. But the inconvenience is a blessing compared to concerns of losing the center, Kellogg said. The center means a lot to Kellogg and many of its members. "This place saved my sanity," Kellogg said. "My husband has been in a nursing home for four years." Kellogg said if she were home all the time she'd be "bouncing off the walls." This is the second time the house, now used for the senior center, has been saved. When it was moved to that site in 1992, it was in danger of demolition. END OF QUOTED ARTICLE FROM SNOHOMISH TRIBUNE. SSC= Snohomish Senior Center SCC= misprint for SSC In past articles the address for SCC, and Snohomish Cemetery was given as 2nd Street and Pine Ave. when actually it would have to be 2nd Street and CYPRESS St. and little narrow street that goes past Snohomish Cemetery with the Snohomish Senior Center (SCC) on it and continues South for a block or two and turns westeward to connect to Pine. I know of only two Sr Center members who have had kin buried in Snohomish Cemetery. The kin were Moran and Averill. If there are more then I do not know of them. It is interesting that the so called Parcel C, where the Pioneer Museum with a variant title for the sight recently changed, is not considered as a part of the cemetery dedication removal since it was not a part of this case. Then, does that mean that that Parcel C is still Snohomish Cemetery, the portion of the dedicated Cemetery that it has been in the Past, even though it was built upon with buildings brought in, several tombstones brought over from other parts of the Cemetery and placed on top of that portion of the Snohomish Cemetery of 1875, and the Plot Map dating from around that period? Is there still Cemetery left that won't be undedicated from the Original Intent? Will that be another Problem for the Future or will it simply be Ignored, and dealt with later when another Project is conceived for that Portion? Are there remains under that Parcel C. Will those remains be undisturbed in the Future? Who knows? The photograph shown in the Tribune did not include the pink marble T H O M A S base stone which should be there right beside the one shown in the photo, or is it still there? The rest of that T H O M A S basestone is over across 2nd Street in Parcel C, the "Museum" - wonder if the two will ever be together again - those basestones are pretty HEAVY. The Prices to view the "Museum" are posted again, I see, with the new prices of admission shown on a piece of cardboard and another inside on a piece of paper. The name of the "Museum" has changed from what it used to be. Carroll, Snohomish. * * * 30 * * * ___________________________________________________________________ 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 or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]