Welcome to Snohomish Hate Free
We have our differences as a community. A hate free Snohomish is our aspiration and we’re going to work for it.
Not From Snohomish?
The Carnegie Library, as it was
The Snohomish Carnegie Library has had quite a life, but has always been a much loved public building.
WE ARE SMALL TOWN SNOHOMISH
SAY GOODBYE TO SUMMER
As you might guess, this sunflower is no longer this perky. The summer season closes fast. I guarantee you that sugar maple will not look like its picture either, but will be something still worth noting.
Book Corner
We’re reluctant to cut the recommendation for the Constitution. We are pairing it with the Amicus podcast recommendation (see our blog post below) which provides some Constitutional human interest story telling to get you invested.
The other two recommendations are both from Michael Lewis, who it turns out, is a big fan of our government as it once was. “Who Is Government” is a series of essays by different contributors, all explaining the work that our government did for us prior to the current administration. The people of the “deep state,” so called. What remains of the Archives, the Services and the Protections these public service employees once provided to all of us will be part of the wreckage to be sifted through some time in the future. The second Michael Lewis book is “Blockers.” Blockers was a term used by Elon Musk’s DOGE team as they dismantled the federal agencies at which the stars of “Who Is Government“ worked. It is a story of DOGE incompetence empowered that is genuinely heartbreaking.
What's New and Blog Posts
Our October Leaf Watch Specimen: the sugar maple on Avenue C, between Third and Fourth. See it soon, because I believe the owners, as reported in the Tribune, will be taking it down because it tree roots are lifting sidewalk pavement.
Now may be a good time to visit the fabulous oak on Fifth Street, in front of of Snohomish High School…and the Chinese chestnut on the corner of Avenue B and Fifth Street, the copper beech at the corner of Avenue A and Fourth Street. An appropriate finale is a visit to the remaining elm on Avenue B, between Fourth and Fifth Streets. This elm is the last of a row of elm trees on this street. There are elms remaining in the neighborhood, though none quite match the stateliness of that historic group.
Now our blog
October 29, 2026
Stressed? Hard not to be now. And if you hadn’t noticed this website is both about how to disarm stress and some of its causes, and how to mitigate stress, when it can’t be totally dispelled.
There are steps that help. You can query them on line. Choose from the non-pharmacological, non-herbal options.
Here are my personal steps…they may not be the steps of pros, but if I use them, they work.
- Become as knowledgeable as possible on issues causing the stress. And be aware that a lack of information on an issue may be the first problem you need to solve.
- Identify honestly how much control or influence can be applied, and how that control can be implemented. (But most important: assess whether you should influence or attempt control. I certainly opt for endurance occasionally).
- Make a commitment to yourself; a small gift of time spent not swaddled in stress.
- Do all this in a timely fashion, and not in one’s (that would be me) predisposed procrastinating manner.
(Note to self: move last step to head of list).
External stress isn’t going away. Expect it to persist for quite awhile. There are immense changes coming, but the tricksters who have set in motion changes we see at our national level, and which have destabilized the world, were given consent by the electorate; an electorate that is now saying their consent was uninformed. Wow!
So what is on the horizon? The 2027 Snohomish City and County elections are. Overlaying these will be the 2028 general elections. So how do we cope? Become as knowledgeable as possible how these layers of government are interrelated and complementary (when they are working). Find and make use of reliable sources of information, especially those that provide references. Find out as much as you can about the candidates, their achievements and contributions to their communities.
As you become informed, especially at the local level, you may be come less stressed, gaining an understanding of why certain decisions, with their implied outcomes, were made. Feel free to complement your elected official.
If, on the other hand, you have an issue with how things are going, it may be time to (1) write a letter to the editor of your local paper(s). You can find a “letters to the editor” email address by querying each paper specifically. (2) Write a letter to your local elected representative(s). All publicly serving elected officials post their government business email address on line. This is true for the city, county, and federal governments. (3) Attend a city council or county council meeting and provide citizen feedback. If you have likeminded friends, take them along and make a night of it. Public speaking is much less scary when it is a team sport.
Refresh your knowledge of the Constitution and the freedoms it provides individuals living in this country. Fix firmly in your mind the hierarchy of the branches of government: Congress first, and of the two houses of Congress, the House of Representatives is closest to, and meant to be the most responsive to the people. It is charged with developing the budget and overseeing it. The Senate, is intended to be deliberative, stabilizing and provides continuity. Together the House and Senate pass the laws we, presumably, want to see enacted in the country.
The Executive, that is, the Presidency was meant to implement the will of the people as manifested in the lawmaking responsibilities of Congress, within the budget provided.
The Supreme Court is empowered to enforce the laws that Congress has passed. As the third branch of government it is part of the checks and balances required in a healthy, functioning government. Which is to say, the Supreme Court, does not make law, it interprets law, according to the Constitution.
If you were to start to understand, more deeply, the dysfunction of our government now, you should start with a review of the Constitutionally assigned roles of the branches with a focus on the Supreme Court.
This can be painlessly undertaken with a 4 part podcast called Amicus, hosted by Supreme Court reporter and commentator, Dahlia Lithwick. The Titles are:
By the People, Who Owns the Constitution? July 18.
By the People, For the Children, July 25.
By the People, Two Steps Forward, One Step Back, August 1.
By the People, Now It’s Your Turn, August 8.
For extra credit: Who Gets Left Out of Originalism? August 9.
These podcasts are all about an hour or less. They address the concept of judicial supremacy in the interpretation of the Constitution…as opposed to the people’s branch, those pesky lawmakers, Congress. But even better they are a master class in story telling, illustrating how the people have in fact helped enforce and shape the Constitution since the document‘s creation. I found these clear AND entertaining. In fact, these podcasts make for good dog walk companions…no shade on your dog. Rather, give that dog an hour.
Now back to calming activities. Your choice.
Volunteering and Local Resources
(A word about our photo: this is the view from under the horse chestnut at the corner of Fourth Street and Avenue C.)
We speak a lot about volunteering in your community and the opportunities volunteering provides in civic life generally. Use the button for possibilities.
Also, for folks wanting more information on focused areas of interest I offer these suggestions:
Outinsnohomish.org is a resource for our LGBTQ+ community. They will be working on the Pride events that were, in the past, managed by HDSA. They are also on Facebook and Instagram, have an events calendar and offer volunteer opportunities.
In Facebook, look for Wil Johnson’s Facebook page. He does a great job of elevating and broadening the reach of marginalized voices…or perhaps simply voices you might not otherwise hear from. He is a longtime educator, works for Snohomish County, and his page is well worth the feed.
HDSA has a podcast called Snohomish Storytellers. You can query it on Apple Podcasts, and they have been at this for awhile. There were 25 recordings in their library on subjects of all kinds but all focused on Snohomish.
Explore
We’ve gone back to Lord Hill Park; one, because it is gorgeous; two, because it is huge, three, you can forget the horrible, very bad, no good news of the world for just a while. We are providing a map, which is also available on line. With the map come these words of advice: don’t trust the map completely...and stay off the equestrian trails, unless you bring hip boots.
Going, Going, Gone
The school yard behind the aquatic center is getting a new look. All of the playground equipment you see here has been removed to a dumpster. Yes, the playgroung floods, reliably annually. Let’s hope this is a first step in relocating playground equipment to dry ground.
Also, we suggest getting Green Snohomish to look at the east most section of the school yard and suggest some runoff water mitigation strategies achievable by native plantings. Having that section of the playground return to nature in a planned, useful way, and scenic way, would be very welcome, especially if it is going to remain flood prone.
Why We Love Diversity
I’ll admit this is a bit of history that is not local but is important for these reasons:
It demonstrates diversity goes back to the very earliest days of our European ancestors‘ arrival.
It documents crushing prejudice endured by, and the stunning resilience of, an oppressed group.
it provides inspiration, and a provides promise of path through and past bigotry.
The New Apostolic Reformation
If you are wondering why we haven’t moved on here: Christian Nationalism remains entrenched in the White House. They support a far right political agenda which includes Project 2025, and therefore pose a threat to religious pluralism and freedom generally.
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Christian Nationalism and the New Apostolic Reformation distinctions; and how to identify adherent churches in the wild. And what it means for you.