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 FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2009 3:41 pm |
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Snow and ice meant fun for some and hassles for others this morning. We'd like to hear about how the weather affected your commute or normal routine. We'd also like to see your photos. Post your experiences here in the comments section. If you have a weather-related news tip -- something that might affect other people -- e-mail the newsroom. You can send your photos, preferably in jpg or jpeg format, to webfeedback@heraldnet.com. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Share flooding news from your neighborhood What's happening near you? You can send your news tips to reporters by e-mail. Or post some information, a photo or a link to this Google map. We'll try to keep the map updated as news comes in throughout the afternoon and evening, too. View Larger Map ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
'Since we’ve got a new captain, we’ll do what he says' It’s 9:15 p.m. and Obama is addressing the country for the first time as president elect. Martin Mundell and Ryan Pecarich are drinking Crown Royal whisky at Soundview Bar & Grill near the Everett waterfront. The TV behind the bar in front of them is tuned to an NFL game, but they know Obama has won because other TVs in the bar are broadcasting election coverage. Mundell and Pecarich are McCain supporters from Bellingham. They were in Everett salmon fishing, and Pecarich drove home earlier today just to vote. “It is what it is,” Mundell says, sipping his drink. “A lot of people are happy – not particularly me. But since we’ve got a new captain, we’ll do what he says.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Cheers, celebrations at Democrats' party in Snohomish Democrats are all smiles as Obama declares victory on the big screen at Karen Guzak’s home, a former Catholic church in downtown Snohomish. The room is packed with about 80 supporters of Liz Loomis, a former mayor of Snohomish and candidate for the 44th legislative district position 2. Opened bottles of Scuttlebutt beer and wine litter a table and the Democrats cry out “Yes!” and applaud during Obama’s televised speech. People began stomping on the wooden floors in the former sanctuary when they learned Obama had taken California. “It was thundering in here,” Loomis says. Returns indicate she has earned 53 percent of the vote so far. Megan Anderson, a Snohomish nanny, is thrilled with the new president elect. “This is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen,” she says. “This is something a lot of people have tried for. It gives you hope the government isn’t as corrupt as you think it is.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! TV at Mexican bakery tuned to election coverage At 9 p.m., as Obama begins his acceptance speech, Elena Lopez is ringing up $22.89 worth of Mexican sweet bread and groceries at Panaderia La Gloria bakery in Everett. She places the bread into paper sacks for a customer and listens to an interpreter read Obama’s speech on Univision, a Spanish-language TV station. The TV in the panaderia is always on during business hours and is often tuned to Spanish soap operas or variety shows, but tonight it’s on Univision’s coverage of “Destino 2008.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Young couple at laundromat 'excited for the future' While her clothes whirl around in a dryer, Sarah Salcedo sits on a couch in Everett Laundry, watching McCain concede the election on the laundromat’s sole TV. Her husband’s arm is around her shoulder and her 3-month-old son is sleeping in his stroller in front of her. She feels she’s witnessing major history. At 26, she never thought she’d see a black president. “I’m really excited for the future,” she says. “This year’s been really hard and I’m just really excited to see what Obama does.” Salcedo and her husband, Brian Salcedo, were raised in Republican homes and consider themselves Republicans, but they want change. This is the first election Brian Salcedo has ever voted in. “This was the first time there was someone I actually believed in,” he says. “When I went to college, I went to three different colleges. To register and do all that and then move six months later, it didn’t seem like a priority to me, but I will definitely vote in the future. It was pretty cool.” Now the Salcedos are waiting for the governor’s results to be posted. The Salcedos live in Mukilteo and own a construction company. They think Rossi is right for Washington’s businesses. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Obama's victory no surprise to some As Obama passes the needed number of electoral votes about 8 p.m. and becomes, essentially, unbeatable, Anita Randolph is sipping water and chatting with friends about community service projects at the Everett Eagles bar. Election coverage is playing on two TVs, but the volume has been turned off. “We’re not really watching,” she said. “We know what’s going to happen and I, for one, am not happy about it.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Local Republicans absorb McCain's concession McCain is giving his concession speech and the room full of loyal Republican supporters is mostly standing, quietly absorbing the loss at a gathering at Shawn O'Donnell's Restaurant in South Everett. On television McCain thanks his running mate, Sarah Palin, and a woman at the back of the rooms says, "I liked her" and the room erupts into cheers. Candidate Dan Kristiansen walks to the front of the room and reminds his supporters that the presidential race may be over, but there's still plenty of fight left. In his first election, he was losing the first few hours before the tide turned, he says. It could be hours or even days before the results of some local races are known. "Let's get past the hurt," he says. "Let's get through this frustration. Please don't give up yet. We have along way to go." And while a few supporters gather their coats and creep out the door, most settle in to the long tables draped in red to wait. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Shawn O'Donnell's packed with Republican supporters The results for the governor's race aren't announced yet, and supporters at this Republican party at Shawn O'Donnell's Restaurant in South Everett are still hopeful. The restaurant's parking lot is packed and so is the ballroom, where Republican supporters line up to buy pints of Guinness and Cokes from a bar. The room is packed with tables and along the front of the room, a big screen television projects election news. Ed Nixon, brother of former president Richard Nixon, is here tonight. He lives locally. He addresses the crowded room, telling them his brother was a true political animal. He, on the other hand, chose geology. "And I may have rocks in my head but I still know how to vote," he quips. Then he addresses the youth in the room. He tells them to learn from tonight's election. "Look at how many people didn't know what they were voting for?" The voting age was lowered to 18 during his brother's time in office, and Nixon said he hopes today's teachers filling those newly minted voter's minds with "truth rather than selective ignorance." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! TV networks, Associated Press call election for Obama Pretty much the moment polls closed on the West Coast, all the major TV networks and the Associated Press announced that Obama has won the presidential election. Lots of votes remain to be counted and we're just beginning to get state results in Washington. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Volunteers at Labor Temple watch results closely In a basement office in the Labor Temple in downtown Everett, several Democratic elections volunteers watch Internet election coverage on MSNBC. Obama posters hang on the walls, Rick Larsen bumper stickers litter the table and a box of glazed donuts sits uneaten in the cluttered office. "Florida is too close to call," commentator David Gregory says. "But he's up," Heather Wizell shouts back at the computer screen. Barack Obama is the first candidate the Gold Bar mother has ever campaigned for. A widow herself, Wizell was touched by Obama's response when his grandmother died Sunday. She spent this morning handing out Obama pamphlets and talking to voters walking by on the street. With Obama ahead, she's feeling good, but as she waits for more results to come in, she's both grateful for and frustrated by minute-by-minute coverage. "The beauty of the Internet is it's instant information," she says. "But it's also sometimes instant exaggeration." Harry Abbott joins her in front of the computer screen. They're both waiting to see how Florida will fall. "It looks great," says Abbott, secretary of the 38th Legislative District Democrats. "Things are going as projected, but we're still anxious. Just because the polls say it will go one way, we actually have to watch to see if they do. We're also concerned about the Senate." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Text messages tell Obama voters to cast ballots Wednesday Reports of hoax text messages to Obama supporters in Florida and Minnesota have been circulating throughout the day. This afternoon, I received a text message at 3:39 p.m. that read: “Due to long lines Obama voters are asked to vote on Wednesday.” So did the next one and the one after that. Shortly after I realized that my friend, whose number the message came from, didn’t send the message, my husband’s phone chimed. Same message. Same return phone number. Same friend. She didn’t send the text. She doesn’t text. She’s on vacation and Robo-anything is not her style. She also knows that I’m not a registered voter so it would be a waste of money to text me about who to vote for and when. According to reports, Barack Obama’s campaign staff in several states has been made aware of the texts. What I want to know is if my friend will be charged for the messages? ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Greg Wetzel is listing to Democracy Now on the radio and giving his friend a juggling lesson at Zippy's Java Lounge, a funky coffee shop in Everett's downtown. The Everett man is a regular at the coffee shop but he came today to listen to returns come in. Wetzel isn't supporting Obama or McCain. He voted for Ralph Nader. He wishes the media and the country would focus more on the issues. "It's about more than the working class," he says. "Let's talk about the poor, about health care for everyone." He also worries about the mounting costs of waging war. As he listens to the states lining up behind Obama, he says he expects a landslide tonight. "When it comes down to it, he lacks courage," Wetzel says of Obama. Several dozen people have called or come in today to listen to the results, said owner Marilyn Rosenberg. She had planned to show Democracy Now on a big screen there but it's so busy she can't get a good signal. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Some tuning in while others tune out CNN is reporting Barack Obama is taking Ohio. By twilight, all the sign wavers at the 112th street overpass and the 128th pedestrian overpass had headed home. While people at a downtown Everett barbershop had the television tuned to the election results, they didn’t want to talk politics. But at least they had the television tuned to the results. A quick look in the window of Gold’s Gym showed every screen turned to other things. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Friends disagree on presidential race At 6 p.m., as newscasters predict Obama has taken Pennsylvania and McCain, Georgia, Thurley Pack and Annie Rue wait for dinner at Washington Oakes Retirement Community in Everett. They had been watching election coverage in their rooms, but took a break to eat. Pack is rooting for McCain, while her dining companion is hoping Obama wins. "I've always vote Republican," Pack, 81, says. "I'm a Republican and I always have been." Rue, 88, isn't as partisan and doesn't always vote Democrat, but she believes Obama is the best choice in this election. While their opinions on politics differ, Pack and Rue agree on one thing: a computer generated video of Obama dancing with Sarah Palin is funny. Pack forwarded the video to Rue. "Maybe they'll be on the next Dancing with the Stars," Pack said, laughing. "They look pretty good," Rue added. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Electoral maps for past elections Then-President Carter only gained 49 electoral compared to 489 electoral votes for Ronald Reagan in 1980. New Hampshire went for Bush in 2000 and those electoral votes pushed him into the White House over then-Vice President Al Gore. To see how past elections shaped up, check out the electoral maps at RealClearPolitics.com. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Les Lee drops his ballot into a collections box at QFC in North Everett. He sticks an "I voted" sticker on his motorcycle helmet and heads back to his bike. Lee, a bus driver, doesn't usually vote, but this election his desire for change drove him to the poll to vote for Barack Obama. "I think there's just a big difference with what's going on," he says. "I think times have changed and we're facing a lot of different things I haven't faced before. Me, being a new homeowner, I'm looking at stuff like that. I'm 46 years old and I've been through a few things, like going in the military. ... I'm voting for Obama because I think we need a change." Lee is among the 1,050 people to drop off ballots at QFC so far today. The store has seen a record number of voters, said Dell Holman, who has been a Snohomish County elections worker for at least 30 years. He arrived at QFC at 6:30 this morning and has collected ballots from a steady stream of voters. "There's been good elections, but this is the biggest election I've had," Holman, 67, says. "I've never seen so many women, minorities and youth participate in an election in all the years." Holman plans to collect ballots at QFC until 8 p.m. tonight, when he has to cart them to the Snohomish County Auditor's Office to be counted. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Two dozen people wait in line to vote at the Everett Public Library. The line snakes through the lobby into the main library. The library is one of the few places in Snohomish County where voters can cast their ballot on machines. Everett resident Larry Chavez just voted at a computer, but he isn't saying who he voted for. Chavez, a Boeing inspector, usually votes by mail, but lost his ballot. He says he'll stand behind who ever is elected and doesn't believe this election is any more or less significant than any other. "I've been around for kind of a long time and every election is the election that's to end all elections," says Chavez, 61, as he walks out of the library. "It was that way four years ago and it's that way again. Every election is important." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Iraqi-American pays attention to the polls despite not voting As pollsters announce that Obama has likely won nine states and McCain two, Njat Al-Hamdani is cooking dinner for her family in their Everett home. Al-Hamdani moved to the U.S. from Iraq 13 years ago and she cares deeply about what happens to her native country. She hopes Obama wins tonight because she believes he will end the war and ease the suffering of those still in Iraq, including many family members. "People in Iraq are tired," she said. "They're sick." Yet, she didn't vote in the election. She said she didn't understand the process. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Republicans at work in Everett Republican supporters at the Everett Victory Headquarters don't look victorious. GOP supporters working the phones in a small leased space just off Broadway in Everett didn't look too happy to see a reporter either. "This is campaign headquarters. Press aren't allowed here," says one man. The headquarters is unmarked, except for one backdoor with a red Doug Sutherland election sign. Inside, half a dozen volunteers are making calls in a warehouse-like room with long tables lined with phones. Most stations are empty. "Can you help make some calls on behalf of Rossi?" one asks, hopefully. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Economy a big factor in restaurant owner's vote For Catherine Choe, Tuesday is just another day running her restaurant, but she has a hard time taking her mind off the election. “I’m so excited to get home and turn on the TV,” Choe, of Edmonds, says. Choe says it’s too bad she doesn’t get to follow the election closely this year, but it’s the results that matter in the long run. The 53-year-old immigrant from South Korea says it’s her third time voting for president, and she takes that right very seriously. “I vote each and every time for the good of my child,” says Choe, who has lived in the U.S. for 20 years. Before mailing her ballot Saturday, Choe weighed her choices: She talked to neighbors, debated with her husband and sought advice from her daughter. She also consulted a local Korean-American newspaper. Choe ended up voting for Obama. “He is good for our community,” she said. The candidate's stance on Iraq was one of the main factors in Choe’s decision. “I don’t like war,” she says. “That’s the most important thing.” Even so, Choe says she couldn’t help but see the election through the eyes of a businesswoman. “Obama is good for small businesses. Economy is so bad these days, we need a change.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Rich Thomas, an airplane mechanic from Everett, took a day off from work to stand on a chilly Interstate 5 overpass near 128th Street. He holds a Dino Rossi sign and waves as cars and trucks whiz beneath him. "Most people give me the thumbs up or honk," he says. A few others give him a less than friendly response. "I've decided to wave the flag out of patriotism," says the former Air Force reservist. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Robert Emery doesn't want the Republican supporters getting all the love. He hurries toward the 128th street overpass with a giant graphic printer poster of Obama. "I don't want them to have a corner on that spot." Emery, a construction inspector from Everett, already put in an hour in downtown Seattle of sign waving. He's already cast his vote for Obama. "I love the way he said, 'I'm tired of this red state, blue state. We're in this together,'" said Emery, recounting Obama's words. "I think he's the best one for bringing people together." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Calling all voters who marked Rossi-Obama or Gregoire-McCain We’ve heard there are folks who are marking their ballots for Dino Rossi and Barack Obama. We’ve been told there may be some casting their lot for Gov. Chris Gregoire and John McCain. If you fall into one of those categories, Jerry Cornfield would like to hear your reasons. Give him a holler at (360) 352-8623 or send him an e-mail at jcornfield@heraldnet.com. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Everett intersection remains hot spot for strong opinions Bob Lang stood on the southwest corner of Colby and Hewitt avenues in downtown Everett Tuesday afternoon waving a McCain-Palin 2008 sign. The 88-year-old Everett man with long white hair and a broad smile resembled an American revolutionary with his tri-cornered hat. On top of his hat, Lang attached a cutout of the hard-charging General George Patton. Lang likes McCain’s military credentials. Across the street, a half-dozen, considerably younger Obama-Biden supporters held their own signs. Outnumbered but not discouraged, Lang said he was pleased with words and smiles from passersby. The Colby-Hewitt intersection has been the site of weekly anti-war and support-the-troops demonstrations since before the beginning of the Iraq War. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Sen. Murray stops by Everett to 'pump up' the party faithful Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray is spending today traveling around the Puget Sound to visit volunteers working to get voters to the polls and ballots in the mail. She came to a spot in Everett earlier today “to pump up the canvassers who didn’t need much pumping up,” said Alex Glass, spokeswoman for the senator. Glass, reached by phone in Seattle, said she’s been by a couple of polling places in King County today and there’s been lots of people lined up. “They want to be part of this historic election,” she said. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! After long campaign, this dad's focus is on homework Peter Fawcett has spent the last year and a half obsessively watching presidential coverage. The Everett man, a carpet installer for Gregg's Carpet, was finishing up a pastrami dip sandwich with his boss at Barney's Pastrami off Evergreen Way. Fawcett said he's eager to see government get back to what he calls "government by the people and for the people." He thinks the best man to make that change is Obama. "I feel like Obama is less connected to those special interests," he said. He cast his vote already and despite his previous viewing habits, he'll be attending to more important matters: helping his 9-year-old daughter with her homework. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Win or lose, Everett man wants their campaign buttons Michael Trujillo of Everett drove up and down Broadway on Election Day looking for Dino Rossi’s Everett Victory Headquarters. He was looking to make a contribution, but it’s not what you might think. He already cast his vote for Gov. Christine Gregoire. Trujillo, 61, wanted a Rossi for Governor button. He’s been collecting buttons, political and non-political, since 1960 when he scored a free button from John F. Kennedy’s campaign. Now he has thousands of buttons. He displays them on fabric board along his stairwell, where political opponents continue to compete years after the last ballots are counted. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! How do you feel about the election? It's not just about who wins today. The New York Times today has a neat feature on its Web site that allows people to type or choose a word from a list that describes their state of mind on Election Day. You can sort the entries to see different results for McCain or Obama supporters, or to see what trends emerge each hour as the day goes on. How do you feel about the election? Are you focused on the presidential race or do local races matter more? Post your thoughts here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! 'It's like a holiday' at downtown Everett Starbucks Rob Heib, 39, of Stanwood, stopped at Starbucks on Colby Avenue in downtown Everett on his way home from work in Shoreline Tuesday morning. He planned to buy a hot chocolate, but baristas told him that Starbucks was giving away free coffee in celebration of Election Day. "I sent in my absentee ballot about two days after I got it in the mail," Heib said. "I knew right away who I would vote for." Starbucks baristas said the line in their store stretched out the door at some points during the morning. One barista said, "It's like a holiday!" ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Free coffee, donuts and more on Election Day Retailers aiming to cash in on Election Day — and, of course, reward folks for participating in our democracy — are offering loads of free stuff today. Here's a rundown of the national chains advertising freebies today, which include Starbucks, Krispy Kreme and Ben & Jerry's. Unfortunately, Starbucks seems to be the only one with stores in Snohomish County. The Seattle-based coffee chain originally wanted to offer a free tall cup of java to anyone who voted, but that runs afoul of a federal election law that prohibits offering gifts to affect how people vote, according to the Washington Secretary of State's office. So now the coffee is free for anyone who asks. If you're willing to venture to Seattle, you'll find more options, including several non-chain stores. Know of someplace in Snohomish or Island counties offering free stuff for Election Day? Post a comment here or e-mail us and we'll start a local list. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Last-minute voting information If you haven't turned in your ballot yet, there's still time to put it in the mail or turn it in today or tomorrow. The Snohomish County Auditor's Office at 3000 Rockefeller Ave., in Everett is open until 8 p.m. today and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The auditor's Web site also has a list of community collection centers where ballots can be dropped off. The last collection time at most Post Office locations in Snohomish County is 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. For a list of locations and their hours, check this U.S. Postal Service search. If you've already mailed your ballot in Snohomish County, you can check online to see if it has been received. Check back here on our Election Blog tomorrow to get updates on the election and share your reactions about what's happening on Election Day. As polls close around the country, we'll be checking in with local voters to see what they think. We'll also have results of state and local races starting at about 8 p.m. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! |
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