The girls are genuinely nice but not phony. Their voices are not higher than normal and they don’t get annoyed if you drive up and you’re not sure what to order. They explain everything to you and they are always happy to see you. They are professional.

Even if heading south I’ll drive out of the way to get my coffee at Espresso Avenue because I know that it will be made correctly.

This may not apply to all of you but being allergic to dairy I have to order soy with all of my coffee drinks. If soy is not prepared properly than a coffee drink will turn to a cup of curdle by the time I pull onto the freeway. It is $3.00 of disgusting. This NEVER happens at Espresso Avenue because the baristas have been properly trained. You have no idea how many times you have paid for a drink that has not been prepared correctly. Even espresso shots can go sour if they are not poured in time. The milk needs to be at a certain temperature or it too can ruin a coffee drink. The girls at Espresso Avenue have been trained very well and always get my order right. And if you go at the right time one of the baristas looks just like Kate from LOST.

Unfortunately if I am too far away and I am forced to visit another stand I interview the barista to make sure she understands how to make a proper coffee drink. One day while chatting with the scantily clad barista the belt holding onto her bikini flew off. She giggled and looked for the belt which flew across the stand. How on earth could she possibly have been focused on my drink?!

This is just another reason why Espresso Avenue is the best coffee drive –thru. They are quick, kind and they respect their customers. I have visited a lot of stands and Espresso Avenue always consistently delivers the best service. We are proud of owner Suzy Schuller who is also an extremely kind business owner and mom. She deserves serious recognition and we are happy to have her in Everett. So here is to you Espresso Avenue for being Everett Wa Blog’s favorite coffee espresso stand.

If you would like your business be considered for a review from Everett Wa Blog, let us know at info@everettwablog.com or take advantage of our ad rates and get your name out there where people will see it.

We also welcome our readers to vote on your favorite places in Everett or let us know about people or places that you think should be recognized. We’ll feature them in our future posts.

The company wants to place a new location within 20 miles of the University of Washington and has asked customers to pick the spot. South Snohomish County, under the listing “North,” is one of three options. “I only eat at one fast-food restaurant, and Dick’s Drive-In is it,” he said. “Snohomish County residents know good food when they eat it, and that’s why we’re the right location.”

“On a more serious note, Dick’s Drive-In is the type of corporate partner we like to see,” Reardon said. “They’ve always paid their employees well while offering good benefits. They donate to charity and award college scholarships. We need more Dick’s Drive-Ins.”  By 3 p.m. last Wednesday, Snohomish County was leading the poll with 52 percent of the vote. Trailing were “South,” covering the South Seattle, Burien and Redmond area, and “East,” which includes Bellevue, Redmond and Mercer Island.  “Residents, we can put this vote out of reach tonight!” Reardon said. “The time to vote is now!” You can vote here at http://ddir.com/

Check out the latest Dick’s information on Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/DicksDriveIn

Twenty five years ago, Christine Foster was a promising young pianist studying under notable Snohomish County piano teachers , Judy Baker and Steven Hesla. In spite of winning numerous local, state, and regional piano competitions, she decided against a career in music in favor of law.
Now a highly successful attorney, her musical passions have reignited.

About a year ago, she sought out her former teacher, Judy Baker, with the dream of regaining her competitive piano skills. Her thought was to prepare to enter competition in 2013. She was instead encouraged by Judy Baker and the Foster family to enter this year’s prestigious Seattle International
Piano Competition. Foster received a surprise of a lifetime when she was declared a winner and invited to perform at Benayoya Hall on September 19, 2010.

When Foster’s feet again hit the ground her trepidation intensified. She had not been in front of an audience for twenty five years and now she was scheduled to perform in a very high stakes event. With the help of Judy Baker, she reached out to the Everett Symphony and the Snohomish County Music Teachers Association for help.

The Symphony eagerly agreed to help by providing the venue and an audience. “We recently opened the Community Performing Arts Theater at the Everett Mall as part of our new artistic citizenship initiative,” said Roger Pawley, the Symphony’s Executive Director. “This facility was created so all performers in Snohomish County can have a place to express their art. We are excited to help Christine prepare for such an important event.”

For more information contact: Roger Pawley 425-870-4608 roger@everettsymphony.org

Eric Thomas pitched 6 scoreless innings for the Aquasox on Saturday night vs. the Vancouver Canadians. Photo by Shari Sommerfield.

The Everett AquaSox will compete in the Northwest League Playoffs for the first time since 2002. After finishing up the regular season on Labor Day weekend in Vancouver, the AquaSox and Vancouver Canadians have clinched spots in the playoffs. The post-season action begins in Vancouver on Monday night for Game 1, followed by Game 2 at 7:05 pm on Tuesday at Everett Memorial Stadium and Game 3 on Wednesday, if necessary. The winner advances to the Championship Round against the Eastern Division winner.

Go cheer on the Frogs, its playoff time!

To reserve a spot at the first postseason run since 2002, please call (425) 258-3673, visit the box office at 3802 Broadway or go online at www.aquasox.com/tickets.

Tyler Maxell scores the game winner for the Silvertips against Thunderbirds goalie Matt Krahn

The Everett Silvertips and Seattle Thunderbirds closed out the seventh annual Holiday Inn Pre-Season Classic on Sunday evening at Comcast Arena, as the Tips outscored the T-Birds 4–3. The Seattle goalie Calvin Pickard, a Colorado Avalanche draftee, kept the Tips scoreless with 15 saves through though one and a half periods. A little past 10 minutes into the 2nd period, T-Birds backup goalie Matt Krahn entered the game to get some pre-season ice time. The Tips then wasted little time, as the 16-year-old prospect Jari Erricson scored at the 11 minute mark for the first Silvertips goal of the game. In addition to goals by Scott MacDonald and Kellan Tochkin, Tyler Maxell scored the game winner for the Tips (see photo). Tips goalie  and Chicago Blackhawk draftee, Kent Simpson,  delivered a scoreless 3rd period in the net.

The Silvertips finished the weekend-long tournament with a 2–1 record, defeating the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds on Friday night and losing a 5–4 contest with a late 3rd period goal by the Tri-City Americans on Saturday night.

The Silvertips next two home games are against the rival Thunderbirds; another pre-season challenge on Friday, September 17 and the season home opener on Friday, September 24.

For more info, visit: www.everettsilvertips.com

photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James R. Evans

“Security and stability lead to peace and prosperity. Lincoln Strike Group is ready to deploy world-wide as a force for peace in support of our nation’s global interests,” said Rear Adm. Mark D. Guadagnini, commander Lincoln Strike Group.

The deployment is part of an on-going rotation of forward-deployed forces to support maritime security operations and operating in international waters around the globe, working with other coalition maritime forces.

“There are 5,000 men and women on this ship that are excited, prepared and determined to make a difference in the world. We’re ready,” said Capt. John D. Alexander, Commanding Officer, USS Abraham Lincoln.

Carrier Strike Group 9 consists of flagship USS Abraham Lincoln, embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, San Diego-based guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George (CG 71), and the embarked Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 9, which includes the Everett-based destroyers Momsen and Shoup, as well as the San Diego-based destroyers USS Halsey (DDG 97) and USS Sterett (DDG 104), which will get underway from Naval Base San Diego in the near future.

For more information on CSG-9 and the USS Abraham Lincoln, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/cvn72/ or www.facebook.com/usslincoln.

In his message to staff, Superintendent Gary Cohn lauded staff for commitment and focus reflected in the test scores. “Congratulations for the work exemplified by the release of this information! This news gives us much to celebrate now and much around which to frame our work for this year.

1. Once again, at every grade level tested and in every subject
area tested, our students performed above the state average. Our middle
school scores, compared to state middle school scores, are exceptionally
impressive. In some subjects, middle school scores increased over last
year at percentages three to ten times greater than the state’s
increases in those areas.

2. This year, elementary special education students achieved
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards in each of our 17 elementary
schools – a dramatic change over previous years.

3. More of our students in more subcategories, including special
education, are meeting AYP standards each year.”

This year’s tests and how they were administered create new benchmarks
The Measurements of Student Progress (MSP), for elementary students, and
the High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE), for middle and high school
students, are different tests from the WASL given in Washington state
schools since the mid-1990s. In some subjects, the 2010 tests measured
new academic standards. The time students were allowed to complete tests
in 2010 was shortened from two days to one day, but the number of items
students were required to complete was not shortened proportionately.
These differences in the tests and the testing conditions have, in many
ways, created new benchmarks for school districts around the state. As
Cohn noted, “Instead of many years of WASL trend data to use as a
benchmark, this year we have the new MSP and HSPE baseline data to begin
using to measure our students’ learning in the coming years.”

Fewer AYP “cells” shows more diverse students are meeting test standards

The MSP and HSPE tests are used to calculate whether individual schools
and the district have met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). AYP is
determined by the federal No Child Left Behind legislation which
mandates that all schools and all school districts will reach a certain
percentage of students passing the state’s reading and math tests each
year. Ultimately, 100 percent of students in all tested subjects and
grade levels at all schools nationwide are expected to be at standard by
2014.

A Title I school receiving federal funding moves into AYP “needs
improvement” status with sanctions after it misses its AYP goals for two
consecutive years in the same subject – reading or math. A district
moves into “needs improvement” status when it misses making AYP for two
consecutive years in all three grade spans (elementary, middle and high
school) in any subgroup or category in the same subject area. Schools
must meet standard in 37 different subgroups and categories, and
districts in 111. These categories and groups are arranged in a grid
with individual “cells” representing different subgroups. Schools and
the district must meet these achievement targets in every “cell” to make
AYP. There are 37 ways for a school to miss AYP and 111 ways for a
district to do so. To exit this “improvement” status and the sanctions
that come with it (for Title I schools), a school or a district must
meet achievement targets in every category for two consecutive years.

Cohn acknowledged that, like the vast majority of large school districts
in the state, Everett Public Schools has some schools not achieving AYP.
He also points out, “There is also no question that every school in the
district is focused on student achievement. We can see the results of
that work in the last three years of AYP data as reported by OSPI.

“In 2007-08, the district achieved AYP in 76.7% of the 111 categories.
In 2008-09, the district achieved AYP in 80.8% of the 111 categories.
In 2009-10, the district achieved AYP in 92.2% of the 111 categories.

“In 2007-08, we were not required to meet AYP in 38 categories because
the number of students in those categories was too few to be considered
a reliable sample.

“In 2009-10, the number of categories considered as having too few
students dropped to 34, and yet the number and percentage of categories
in which we achieved AYP jumped to 71 and to 92.2%.

“We can conclude from this information that we are achieving AYP for
more diverse categories while we are also being held accountable for the
performance of more students in diverse categories.”

For Everett Public Schools, deep analysis of test scores begins this
week, even before school starts. Individual schools have test score
information for each student, Cohn says. “Staff will use this data to
determine areas needing instructional improvement and strategies to help
each student meet standard. Everett Public Schools staff have a
pervasive attitude and strategic focus on student success. We could not
wait to get our hands on this data which will help refine how to
continually improve how we help students succeed. We have also been
planning for weeks how best to use work days before school starts to
collaborate on ways to target the year’s work for each school and the
district. It is imperative that educational staff have regular time
together to discuss and collaborate about best practices for their
instruction and their students’ learning.”

The Seattle Times is expanding its partnerships with local news Web sites with the addition of three more sites today. That brings the total number of partner Web sites to 29.

Partnering with The Times today are:

Bike Intelligencer and editor Paul Andrews.
Everett WA blog and editors Ray Liedlich and Denise Galasso Liedlich.
U District Daily and editor Doug Alder. This site is part of Next Door Media, a network of neighborhood news sites in North Seattle.
The Times’ effort to build community-news relationships began a year ago with the launch of the Networked Journalism project.

In August 2009, The Times and five charter sites announced a partnership as part of the Networked Journalism Project. The project was sponsored by J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism, which, in turn, is funded by the Knight Foundation.

The event is open to the public and requires an appointment.  For reservations, contact the Everett
Mall Massage Envy location at 425.353.5000 or visit http://www.massageenvy.com/.

Since the first Massage for the Cure event in 2005, Massage Envy has raised more than $1.4 million for
Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  This year’s goal is to raise $500,000, with an estimated 620 Massage Envy
centers in 42 states participating.
               

Massage for the Cure is an annual, one-day event hosted by Massage Envy(r) and benefiting Susan G. Komen for
the Cure(r), a global leader in the movement to end breast cancer. Since the event’s inception in 2005,
Massage Envy has raised more than $1.4 million for Susan G. Komen for the Cure with 100 percent of the
proceeds being used for education, screening and treatment programs in the community. Now in its sixth
year, Massage for the Cure will be held on September 14, 2010 at an estimated 620 Massage Envy centers
across the United States. To book your appointment or for more information, please visit:
http://www.massageenvy.com/