The following article appeared in Snohomish County Seniors publication printed by Mach Publishing of Snohomish which published The TRIBUNE as a supplement. The article was written by Soren Velice, Staff Writer, and is quoted in full as follows: The Snohomish Senior Center has been steadily growing since John Willis and Jack Tomulty started it in 1989; if it gets a big block grant from the county, it may make a quantum leap in the next frew years. "We're running out of apace," said Joyce Shahan, the center's secretary and spokeswoman. "We held an optn house and took a curvey, and there were services people asked ror, such as a once-a-month wellness clinic ...we want more activities that involve more people from the community.(sic.) "What we see is an open, friendly place where people of all ages can come for activities or just simple social interaction." The center is working with the city to secure a Community Deveopment Block Grant from the county to help expand the facility. The center and the city of Snohomish, which pays the center's water, sewer and garbabe bills and leases the center its land for $1 per year, are working towqard the grant by contracting for preliminary arhchitectral drawings and accompanying cost estimate. That will cost approximately $4,000. City treasurer Brad Nelson, whp's working with the center on the grant, said it's far too early to make a guess at the cost, but that$4,--- may open the door to much, much more. The city has allowed for $1 million in the city's capital facilities plan; that document doesn't secure the money or guarantee it will be spent, but the city must have it in the plan in case the block grant or other funding comes through. "We're trying to get it together before the funding cycle that"s starting up pretty soon," Nelson said. "We re putting $1 million in the capital facilitites plan." Some of the block grant, if the city gets it, may end up paying for decertifying the site as a cemetery. Most of the grave sites were removed when the state highway department built U.S. Highway 2 throught town, but some graves may remain. A judgment last year requires the city to explore for any remaining graves and transfer them to decertify the site. "The city has been going through a bidding process that has to be done to satisfy Judge French's requirement," Shahan said. "They're far enough along that they have some bids, it's going to be w whopper." Although it's outside the scope of the block grant, the city and the senior center are talking with Snohomish Affordable Housing (SAH) to lease off part of the parcel occupied by the center for senior housing. Dan Smoots, Snohomish Affordable Housing's director, said although his group's funding will remain outside the block grant, SAH's plan there might help the grant through. "What we would be happy to do is get a separate parcel on the same site," he said. The city could sell sAH a parcel, or it could lease it long term, as it does with the Everett E. Olsen Youth Center (located on the Averill Field site - CC.) and the Senior Center. "We would build low-income housing for seniors only; it would be independent, but we'd be working closely with the center and the city," Smoots said. "Knowing that block grant might stimulate another organization - our nonprovit - might enhance their ability to get the block grant." End of quote article, and picture of seniors playing bridge - photo by Soren Velice, writer. * * * COMMENT: The inception for a cemetery of three acres began with B.W. Sinclair, pioneer of Snohomish who had land known as the Sinclair Addition in Snohomish. The 3 acres was adjacent to the Pilchuck River, a decent placer for a white woman, the first to die in Snohomish County, having drowned in the Snohomish River while in a canoe with Charles Low in the year 1871. Mr. Sinclair passed away before negotiations with city fathers could be culminated, so it befell to his widow to take the reins of the estate. The widow, was in poor health and she, too, passed away before negotiations were established, leaving 2 children, as heirs to their estate. Mary L. Sinclair, sister of B.W. Sinclair was appointed executrix, and the 2 children were wards of the court. Given the authority by the court to transact their business, the 3 acres of cem. land became known by July of 1875 as the Snohomish Cemetery Association. Among this association were Hugh Ross, pres., Issac Cathcart, v.pres.; E.C.Ferguson, father and founder of Snohomish, as secretary; and trustees Frank Dolan, John Ross and Alonzo LOW. The deed was recorded in 1876, and the plat was recorded 1885 signed by Isaac Cathcart. The Hwy 2 cut through a portion of the cemetery took place in 1947 but the Hwy 2 designation was discontinued and Hwy 2 skirts around the city of Snohomish - it exists today as the approach and bridge across the Pilchuck River which is the access/exit street at 2nd Street and Cypress Street (Not Pine as errored in past writings.-CC). Therefore, there is the smaller portion of the original Snohomish Cemetery Assoc. site to the North behind Rite Aid and Penneys Outlet, then the highway cut, then the largest, or southern portion of the original cemetery on the south portion of the original 3 acres, where the present Snohomish Senior Center has rested with blacktop parking for 10 years, as they are celebrating their 10th Anniversary. The existing house was removed from a former site and was placed on top of the cemetery. Thirty feet of extension was added onto the house when more room was needed for bingo and other activities as needed. The City had archeological probings which at first did not show any signs of graves, but the last archeological dig did expose the foot, ankle bones, and bones of the leg below the knee at about a 5 ft depth which was quickly refilled with dirt so that the complete skeleton was not exposed. There were several witnesses to that event, and the City and other skeptics had to acknowledge that there were truly remains in that cemetery despite there a number of persons who said there were no remains there. Most of us knew that lived not far from that cemetery that ALL the remains had not been removed, especially from the North portion and the much larger South portion, whereas the Hwy 2 dig was much deeper and more accountable as the cost per skull found was a matter of expense for that project. The rest is h i s t o r y and the history tends to be "uninteresting" among historians; and we hear such statements as "That woman in Seattle" at what is supposed to be an historical meeting, in an historical meeting place, by historians, but the irony of it all is dismaying. What is regarded as history by some is not always regarded as history by others, i.e. we emphasize some aspects of historic places, for instance, while we dismiss other places as not historic. The perspective tends to go amiss ! Carroll in Snohomish * * * 30 * * *