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Chief Dave Kraski 

Dave Kraski, the Fire Chief of the North County Regional Fire Authority provided  information at our July 10 meeting regarding the proposition to restore the levy rate to $1.50 per $1,000 in value at the August 5, 2025, primary election. Since tax levies are a set dollar amount, the actual rate goes down as assessed values in the taxing district increases.  The current levy rate of $1.32 is no longer keeping pace with rising demand and increasing costs for emergency services. Over the past three years, emergency call volumes have risen 26%, while operational and equipment costs have continued to climb.

“With call volumes increasing, we need enough personnel to respond quickly and the ability to replace critical equipment as it wears out,” said Fire Chief Dave Kraski. “The fire levy provides the majority of our funding for both fire protection and EMS. This proposal ensures we can continue delivering the rapid, high-quality response our community expects.”

The proposed 18-cent lid lift costs $18 per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value. For example, the owner of a $500,000 home would pay an additional $7.50 per month or $90 per year.

The North County Fire Authority serves the Cities of Arlington and Stanwood, and the surrounding areas of Warm Beach, Bryant and Freeborn area north of Stanwood.

To learn more, visit www.northcountyfireems.com or contact Fire Chief Dave Kraski at dkraski@northcountyfireems.com or 425-754-0806.

 

The 2025 Great Stilly Duck Dash is a highlight of the City of Arlington 4th of July Celebration.  The Club also participates in the Grand Parade, handing out duck calls and candy along the parade route, led by Splishy and Splashy, the club mascots selected each year to promote the event. The first five ducks to reach the finish are the winners for the individuals who purchased the raffle tickets that match the duck bar codes. 

Installation of Officers and Directors

2025-2026 "Unite for Good"

We gathered at the Trailside Event Center on June 29 to celebrate the 2024-2025 year under the leadership of President Mel, and to install the officers and directors for the 2025-2026 Rotary year.
 
Congratulations to Mel and our Board of Directors for meeting all the club's goals, earning the Club Excellence Award from Rotary International!  There will be more to come when the award is presented at one of our future meetings.  Mel did take the time to recognize some of our members with special awards, although she also gave out awards at her last board meeting:
  • Energizer Bunny Award:  Carla Rankin for her work chairing the scholarship committee.
  • Jola Barnett:  Social Butterfly Award as our Duck Dash Sponsorship and District Conference Chairs.
  • Katy Storm: Contagious Smile Award as our Secretary in Training.
  • Duane Rhodes:  Code Red Award for work on the strategic plan and always being ready to help.
  • Paul Abramowicz:  IT Wizard Award for his help with everything technical.
  • Rick Olson: Fix it Award, as our sergeant-at-arms, set up for meetings, and things that need fixing.
  • Dave Duskin: Human Wikipedia Award for answering anything Rotary and club history.
  • Barney Petersen: Silver Lining Award for his work with International Service.
Some Paul Harris recognitions were also handed out, one to Mel for her service as president, along with a past president's pin with a diamond, to Chad Hilker, the winner of the football pool, and as a special recognition to Russ Tilton for his years of behind the scenes work with his late wife Joan's water projects in Kenya.
 

Russ Tilton 

 
District Governor Dave Duskin, as one of his last official duties as District Governor, installed Bob Campbell as our club's 58th president.  In doing so, he told of Bob's history in Rotary, starting in 1980 in Jerome, Idaho, where he served as its president in 1984, his first stint as a member of our club began in 1988 until he moved to Colville, where he was a member of the Colville club in 2007 to 2015, serving as its president in 2012.  Following his retirement, he moved back to Arlington and rejoined our club in 2016. 
 
May be an image of 2 people and text that says 'm Ae BELIEVE THEREIS GOOD IN THE EWORLD'

DG Dave Installs Bob 

Since DG Dave will be serving as the Public Relations Director for our club next year, Assistant Governor and District Governor Nominee, Kathleen Olson, installed the following officers and directors for the 2025-2026 Rotary Year:
  • President Elect:  Dave Kraski
  • President Elect Nominee:  Jennifer Holocker
  • Secretary:  Katy Shore
  • Treasurer:  Yvonne Gallardo-Van Ornam
  • Foundation Director: Barney Peterson
  • Membership Director:  Duane Rhodes
  • Community Funding Director: Cindy Huleatt
  • Public Relations Director: Dave Duskin
  • Youth Services Director:  D.J. Lockwood
  • Service Project Director:  Chad Hilker
  • Immediate Past President: Mel Simpson
To see other photos taken at the Installation event, click HERE to go to our Facebook page.

Celebrating Our Inbound Exchange Student

Instead of our regular monthly evening meeting on June 26, Kim Deisher-Allen, currently the host mother of our Rotary Youth Exchange student, Madyke DeGroot, hosted a celebration for Madyke at her home.  Although Madyke was considered a senior during her year at Arlington High School, she could not walk across the stage to receive a diploma.  She did participate in other traditional graduation events, such as the all-night party.
 
No photo description available.
Madyke De Groot
 
Mayke is from Nunspeet, Netherlands.  As a Rotary International Exchange Student, she has been sponsored by our club for the last year.  She had had three host families.  She started in the home of our president, Mel Simpson, whose daughter is currently an exchange student in Sweden.  Her second host family was Peggy and Nathan Ray, and her last host family is Kim Deisher-Allen and Rob Allen.  She will be leaving for home on July 7.
 
We met Madyke's parents, who visited Madyke from their home in Nunspeet, Netherlands. They spent two weeks in the area, including venturing up to British Columbia. 
 

Madyke with her Parents

 
There was no shortage of shared glowing messages from those who have helped Madyke fulfill items on her now-famous "bucket list", an idea that originated from Peggy Rae.  All agreed that it was a great way to share Madyke with members of our club, while giving Madyke a great experience as our exchange student.
 
 
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The Madyke "Bucket List"

Celebration Party

 
May be an image of 7 people and table
May be an image of cake and text that says 'GRAD'
May be an image of 6 people, table and text
May be an image of 1 person and text that says 'Madyke de MadykedeGroot Groot 事 Arlington Rotary Exchange Student the Netherlands'
May be an image of 6 people, table and text
May be an image of 7 people and table
 

2025 Scholarship Awards Presentations

From the left to right: CarlaIsabelle Kovarik, Nathan Allen Nichols,  Grace Francis Davis, Baile Linklater, Jake Thomas Willis, Kaid Hunter, William Read Meno, Cameron David Miller Payne 
 
Not every scholarship recipient was at the recognition.  We gave fifteen $5000 scholarships to graduating seniors from Arlington, Weston, Darrington High Schools.  Half of all Duck Dash sponsorship funds are used for these scholarships:
 
 Grace Francis Davis is the heart of service in motion. A proud graduate of Arlington High School, Grace has given over 500 volunteer hours to the Arlington Food Bank, where she began serving during the pandemic as a seventh grader. From dressing as Santa to spread cheer, to comforting a child whose Christmas wish was for her mother to get better, Grace has brought compassion, connection, and joy to hundreds of local families. She is captain of both the AHS soccer and track teams, a class officer, theatre performer, choir member, and leader among her peers—but above all, Grace leads through service. She plans to pursue a double major in vocal performance and pre-medicine, believing she can heal through both science and song. Grace's strength of character shines
 

55 Years of Service to the Community

When you are the longest tenured active member in a Rotary Club, and you have done the club's weekly bulletin for most of your tenure, you become the club's historian.  Dave Duskin, fits that bill, and he was our program at our June 12th meeting.
 

Dave Duskin

Dave joined the club in 1974, when the club was just over four years old.  To keep him honest, Don Richards, an honorary member and the last charter member still living, was a special guest at the meeting, as was Marcia Smothers, our first female president.
 
Most of our club's history is documented on our website.  At the top of the home page, a menu is available with a link that directs you to a site page featuring subpages covering various topics, such as a list of all our club presidents and important dates in our club's history.  To go to the site page, click HERE.
 

Dave Duskin with Charter Member Don Richards & 96+ Year Old Bell

Fifty-five years ago, Rotary International (June 20, 1970) issued a new charter to a club in north Snohomish County.  It was chartered as the Rotary Club of Marysville-North County.  The first meeting was on April 6, 1970, in what was then the Turkey House and is now Denny's.  Marysville had a club from 1929 to 1934, and the widow of the previous club's secretary still had the original bell, presented to the Marysville club by its sponsoring club, the Rotary Club of Everett,  in her basement. She gave it to the new Marysville-North County Club. 
 

Charter Night at the Everett Elks Club September 11, 1970

After the Marysville-North County Club changed its name to North Snohomish County and some of its members split off to form a new club in Marysville in 1985, the bell was given to the new Marysville Club.  Since then, the two clubs have had fun "exchanging" the bell, all in the name of fun!  See the previous story, "The Great Bell Caper!" by clicking HERE.
 
Five years ago, we were deprived of celebrating the club's fiftieth anniversary because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our last anniversary celebration was our 40th, and we celebrated at our 25th anniversary. Planning for our 55th celebration is underway for August 10th. A breakfast for past presidents is being scheduled for the GlenEagle Country Club, and a celebration in the afternoon at the home of Rotarians Cindy and Jeff Huleatt.  We will be celebrating both our completion of our 37th annual Great Stilly Duck Dash and the 55th anniversary of the issuance of our club's charter.
 

25th Anniversary Celebration

Our 40th Anniversary Celebration

In the photos above, starting clockwise with the top left photo:  Dale interviewing Charter Member and Retired Superior Court Judge, Bob Bibb; top center, Joe Weller, Gerry Wigren, and Dennis Haug; upper right:  the three charter members living at that time--John Mitchell, Don Richards, and Bob Bibb; bottom left: John Henken; bottom middle: "The Core Group" foursome who always gave themselves an award at club golf tournaments; and bottom right: a foursome of Jim Minifie,  Jeff Garcea, Phil Bartlow, and John Peeters.
 
At the 40th Celebration, the bell was secured by giving it back to Marysville with a chain and pad lock.
Lee Harman is assisted by Ron Love (the normal bell thief) and MC Dale Duskin
 
There are photo albums that can be viewed by clicking: 40th Anniversary
Dave's Slides Converted to a PDF, click HERE
Other Albums click HERE
 
 
 
 
Club Information
Welcome to our Club!
Arlington

Service Above Self Since 1970

We meet In Person
Thursdays at 12:00 p.m.
Arlington Boys and Girls Club
18513 59th Ave NE
(Hadley Community Room)
Arlington, WA 98223
United States of America
Club Executives & Directors
President
President Elect
Vice President/President Nominee
Secretary
Past President
Foundation Director
Membership Director
Public Relations Director
Club Administration Director
Director Youth Services
Community Funding Director
Service Projects Director
Youth Exchange Officer
Program Chair
Sergeant-at-Arms
ClubRunner Administrator
Associate Director Foundation
Associate Director Membership
Associate Director PR
Youth Services Associate Director
Associate Director Community Funding
Service Projects Associate Director
 
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Speakers
Dr. Lee Harman
Jul 17, 2025
Miss Vicki Update
Lance and Nichole
Jul 24, 2025
Classification talks
Ahayla ?
Jul 31, 2025
Evening meeting
Work meeting
Aug 07, 2025
Kids Kloset
Haller Park Picnic
Aug 14, 2025
Katy Reserved
Sponsorship Awards
Aug 21, 2025
Duck Dash Sponsors luncheon at Bonefish
Peoples Bank - Evening Meeting
Aug 28, 2025
Scam Savvy
OPEN
Sep 04, 2025
OPEN
Dale Duskin
Sep 11, 2025
Lewis and Clark expedition
Duck Dash Sponsors
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