The Arlington Police Department concluded its Citizens Academy with a pot luck dinner and graduation ceremony this last Wednesday, March 20. The graduation was attended by Arlington Mayor Barb Tolbert and Arlington Police Chief Nelson Beazley. Detective Sergeant Ventura was the Master of Ceremonies with Chief Beazley as the Key Note Speaker.

The 20 participants of this year's 10-week academy were allowed to ride with Patrol Officers, practice CSI techniques, tour the Marysville jail and also tour the SNOPAC 911 dispatch center, seeing firsthand what happens on a daily basis in their community. The most popular class may have been spending an evening at the Norpoint Shooting Center in Arlington where students were given an introduction to the firearms and less lethal tools used by the Arlington Police Department. "Several students were so excited they signed up for additional firearms training at the range that same night," said Detective Sergeant Ventura.

Ventura explained that the purpose of a Citizen Academy is to bridge the gap between the Police Department and the people they serve. Unfortunately, for year's law enforcement agencies have shrouded themselves in secrecy. As a result, much of the public does not understand why police officers handle some incidents the way they do. The public is not aware generally of the legal requirements that come into play. The Citizen's Academy is intended not only to remedy some of these misunderstandings but to also allow citizens some "hands on" experience with situations that are normally not experienced outside law enforcement circles. "The overall objective is to further partnerships in making Arlington a great place to live, work and raise our families," said Detective Sergeant Ventura.

Of the tremendous amount of feedback the police department received, one student commented, "This class provided a wonderful opportunity to put a human face on our city's police force. It also helped me learn the truth about how law enforcement works and see behind some of the most common misconceptions."

The Arlington Police Department would like expand and continue to offer this course on a yearly basis. The next Police Department Citizens Academy is tentatively scheduled for the first part of 2014. Announcements will be posted upon the City of Arlington Webpage, Facebook and in the E-News Update.

Now that we've gotten through the winter and a wet spring, things are starting to grow. The City would like to solicit the cooperation of property owners to voluntarily remove vegetation along sidewalks. By addressing issues now, you can get a jump start on weeds before they become a real problem this summer. Streets and sidewalks are for everyone's use. They add value to private property by providing access to the property and a way to get to other places in the city. The idea is to create a clear zone-a clear path for at least two people to walk side by side along a sidewalk. What some property owners do not realize is that they are responsible for vegetation control along the sidewalk and in the planting strip (or the roadway shoulder) in front of their property. Property owners need to trim or remove over hanging trees, plants, shrubs, vegetation or debris which obstructs streets, alleys or sidewalks. Here are some general guidelines for vegetation control:

► Vegetation up to 18-inches high shall be trimmed so not to overhang the edge of the sidewalk

► Vegetation that is 18-inches up to8-feet high shall be trimmed back at least 6-inches from the vertical edge of the sidewalk

► Any trees or vines overhanging any portion of a sidewalk shall be trimmed to allow for an adequate over head clearance (minimum of 8-feet)

► Vegetation shall be removed from street gutters to prevent drain blockage

► At intersections, vegetation or other obstructions shall be kept at a minimum height of 2-feet, 6-inches within the 25-feet site triangles

Last Friday, March 22, the Arlington Cub Scouts, Pack 92, and Arlington Girl Scouts, Troop 42168, toured the City's Water Treatment Plant and newly upgraded Water Reclamation Facility.  The tour was very insightful and educated the young scouts on an often overlooked valuable resource that enhances our quality of life every day; water.  Have you ever stopped and wondered just where does your water come from and where does it go?  Every time we walk up to a sink or step into a shower we expect clean water to come flowing from the faucet, and when we are through with the water it goes down the drain without a thought. 

These young scouts and scout leaders were shown firsthand the intricate process the City must perform to ensure that clean, potable water is always delivered to customers and that water sent down the drain is treated to the highest quality achievable before discharging into the Stillaguamish River.  The ages of the scouts ranged from 6 to 9 years old. The tour was led by Dallas Speed representing the Water Treatment Plant and by Jay Lemke representing the Water Reclamation Facility.  If you would like to schedule a tour, please call the Arlington Public Works Administration office at 360-403-3526. 

On Friday March 22nd the Arlington School District hosted an open house and tour of the shop facility located at the Arlington High School. About 70 people attended the open house representing local businesses, the City of Arlington, Aerospace Joint Training Committee and Arlington School District to hear about the new vocational training and to view the recently added equipment that will be used to train adult students in the latest manufacturing techniques.

Two programs began last January for local manufacturing and aerospace employees with a desire to advance their skills in an apprenticeship program. Additional programs will be added as the demand increases. The programs that started in January are a direct result of over a year of planning and are a coordinated effort between the City of Arlington, Arlington School District, Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee, and the Economic Alliance of Snohomish County. Arlington is home to over 160 manufacturing and aerospace related businesses - which makes Arlington the second highest employment center per capita in Snohomish County.  For information about training opportunities, click here.