Snohomish county in review: A last look back

The last day of the year is not only a time to celebrate the promise of the coming year but also an opportunity to reflect on the preceding 364 days.

At The Times of Snohomish County, we've marked the past year in weekly increments, each Wednesday bringing you stories of the people, places and issues that shape the county. Through the 53 cover stories we've brought you in 2003, we've in effect held up a mirror to the county, producing images that have helped explain and define a rather eventful year.

It was a year of highs, reflected by a May 7 cover story that focused on several crew members of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, fresh from their return from a 10-1/2-month deployment, and a June 18 story that celebrated Everett's love affair with the AquaSox.

It was a year of lows: On Oct. 29, we took a look at the impact that early fall floods had on the county's agriculture, and on Jan. 22, we examined how development was gradually changing Brier's largely rural atmosphere.

It was also a year of beginnings, reflected by a Sept. 24 look at the gleaming new Everett Events Center and an Aug. 27 story on first-year schoolteacher Jennifer Pullen.

And, finally, it was a year of endings, such as our Dec. 10 profile of departing County Executive Bob Drewel and our Nov. 5 cover story on the county's dwindling number of high-school diving teams.

As we prepare to take the leap into 2004, we pause for a moment to reflect on the stories of 2003, taking this opportunity to bring you up to date on some of the cover stories from the year.

— John de Leon, editor

The Times of Snohomish County