News You Can Use Alaska Airlines Announces Service from Paine Field in 2018 Air travel will get a lot easier for flyers living in Snohomish County and North King County next year when Alaska Airlines begins commercial service from Paine Field Snohomish County Airport. Subject to government approvals, starting by fall of 2018, more than a million North Sound travelers will enjoy shorter commutes to the airport and up to nine daily departures. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: News You Can Use 1 Travel, Tourism & Hospitality 3 News from VIC Services 7 The Sports Pages 10 Around Snohomish County 11 time stuck in traffic on Interstate 5 and more time enjoying your vacation or making the most of your business trip. Imagine spending more time getting to the airport than actually flying to a destination such as Portland, Oregon. That s what many travelers, who live north of Seattle, and drive to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, frequently experience. According to publicly available traffic data, by flying out of Paine Field, Everett residents, for example, could shave up to 80 minutes off their airport commute, during peak traffic congestion. Alaska Airlines made the announcement on May 17 in a press release. As our region continues to grow at a record pace and Sea-Tac Airport nears capacity, the time is right to bring air service to our valued guests living in the North Sound, said CEO of Alaska Airlines Brad Tilden. Today s news means less This new service is great news for Snohomish County, said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. Businesses will have easier access to major markets and leisure travelers can skip the commute down south, saving time and fuel. For decades, Alaska Airlines has been a responsible neighbor in our region, and we welcome them even closer to home at Paine Field. Alaska Airlines plans to operate nine daily departures from Paine Field using a fuel-efficient fleet of Boeing 737 and Embraer 175 aircraft. This new service will deliver all the (Continued)
July 2017 Page 2 comfort guests expect on an Alaska Airlines flight, while taking hundreds of cars off of I-5 every day. Alaska understands the local market, so having our Seattle-based airline be the first to provide scheduled passenger service from Everett just confirms the value commercial flights will bring to the local economy, Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson said. Alaska is an industry leader in service and reliability, and our citizens and businesses will benefit from having such a convenient travel option right here in Everett. Led by Propeller Airports and Snohomish County, construction of the state of the art terminal is slated to begin in June. Alaska plans to announce routes, flight schedules and begin selling tickets early next year. Propeller couldn t be prouder than to partner with the hometown airline on this new service, said Brett Smith, CEO of Propeller Airports. As Alaska does everyday, our goal is to put the customer first, making the travel experience truly exceptional. Runyan Associates for the Washington State Destination Marketing Association. Travel spending in Snohomish County topped $1.04 billion in 2016 a year-over-year increase of 2.8 percent. Tourism is Snohomish County s second largest industry. Direct tourismrelated jobs employ 10,850 people in the county, contributing $297.2 million in payroll, $21.7 million in local taxes and $54.3 million in state taxes. Tourism and outdoor recreation in Snohomish County is a significant contributor to our local economy, said Amy Spain, executive director of the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau. The things that make Snohomish County a great place for visitors also make it a great place to live. The development of tourism assets from attractions and hotels, to biking trails and parks, and our natural assets of coastline and mountain peaks make Snohomish County a wonderful place for visitors to explore. As reported by Smith Travel Research, Snohomish County ranked third in occupancy behind King and Clark County with an annualized occupancy of 68.9% in 2016. Although occupancy was down slightly over the previous year, said Spain, the lodging community was able to hold their rate integrity even with the increase of hotel room supply with the completion of new hotel projects. Tourism, however, is about much more than hotel stays. Tourism is a key economic development strategy and positively impacts a cross section of businesses, and reaches all communities in Snohomish County. Travel spurs growth, builds a strong tax base, and creates jobs that cannot be outsourced. Travel promotion is a wise strategic investment. It kicks off a virtuous cycle of increased traveler visits, greater traveler spending in local businesses, faster job creation and higher tax revenues that far surpass the initial investment. Travel Spending in Snohomish County Tops $1 Billion Snohomish County ranked fourth out of 39 counties in Washington State in 2016 visitor spending after King, Pierce and Spokane counties, according to the report, Washington State County Travel Impacts & Visitor Volume for 1991-2016P, prepared by Dean (Continued)
July 2017 Page 3 Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said, Those of us who live and work in Snohomish County know that it is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Now that tourism s impact has surpassed $1 billion per year, we must ensure this cornerstone of our local economy continues to thrive. With increasing numbers of tourists and growing economic impact, we will continue to innovate, attracting even more tourist visits. Economic development is one of our highest priorities, and tourism is a key component of our economic development plans, said Terry Ryan, Snohomish County Council member and Lodging Tax Advisory Committee chair. More tourists result in more jobs and an improved standard of living in our communities. We are fully committed to supporting Snohomish County s thriving tourism industry. *Note: The total is rounded for reporting purposes. Travel, Tourism & Hospitality News Public Input Needed for Aviation Attraction Wayfinding Signage at Paine Field Snohomish County Parks, Recreation and Tourism invite the public to review visitor attraction signage concepts considered for Paine Field and adjacent attractions on July 25, 2017. The project, funded with county lodging taxes, includes plans for the signage system, also called wayfinding. There are five major tourist attractions located in and around the airport campus. This phased project considers the effectiveness of existing signage, vehicle connections, place-making elements, and a plan with timeline for future implementation. Concepts presented at the July meeting are created by Tangram Design LLC, an environmental graphics and wayfinding firm from Denver, CO. The designs are informed by a Tangram site assessment. A community engagement workshop, held in March, reviewed the assessment and community feedback contributed to the final draft designs. Public feedback is vital in this kind of decision making and I hope that we receive some direction for how our citizens would like this project to move forward. This visitor attraction signage system is central to getting people to the many attractions at Paine Field, said Snohomish County Council Chair, Brian Sullivan. Attendees favored the idea of an aviation attraction district. Signing a district is more effective than advertising a series of stand-alone experiences, said Snohomish County Parks and Tourism Director, Tom Teigen. Ideas taken from this meeting will aid in further design development, resulting in an effective visitor wayfinding system unique to Paine Field. The five existing visitor attractions at Paine Field include: Future of Flight Aviation Center and Boeing Tour Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum Historic Flight Foundation Museum of Flight Restoration Center High Trek Adventure Aerial Course at Paine Field Community Park The public event will be held on Tuesday, July 25, 2017 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn conference room, 8401 Paine Field Blvd, Mukilteo. RSVP to the event by emailing Annique Bennett at, Annique.Bennett@co. snohomish.wa.us UK Travel Writer Hosted for July FAM Tour Snohomish County Tourism Bureau, in conjunction with the Port of Seattle, recently hosted Lyndsay Sutton a writer for the Trinity Mirror, owner of the majority of regional daily newspapers in England, Scotland and Wales. He is an award-winning journalist (including Visit USA Travel Writer of the Year 2014 and IPW Travel Writer of the Year 2016). His
July 2017 Page 4 destination features are syndicated to the Trinity Mirror network of some 800 titles. He came to the Seattle metro area in mid-june for a two week trip, stopping in Snohomish County for one day on Monday, July 10th. Reserve Your Spot in the 2017 Fall/Winter Visitor Guide Mr. Sutton spent most of the day touring some of our aviation attractions at Paine Field. The Snohomish County Tourism Bureau would like to extend a special thank you to our partners who graciously participated in this Media FAM: Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour Historic Flight Foundation Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum Ivar s Mukilteo Landing Hilton Garden Inn Seattle North/Everett Seattle metro area will receive a double-page spread as a result of his full visit. There is a good possibility that we could receive additional Snohomish County focused editorial as a result of his visit. The average circulation for Lyndsay s stories is one million per story with a financial return of $72,000 to $120,000 per story. Tourism-related Projects Receive Funding
July 2017 Page 5 The Port of Edmonds and 13 organizations recently received funding for several projects that will positively impact tourism to their communities and greater Snohomish County. Port of Edmonds Receives Tourism Promotion Grant The Port of Seattle awarded a $10,000 special funding grant to the Port of Edmonds to promote Edmonds as a preferred tourist destination. The Port of Edmonds uses Your Homeport Advantage and Choice Destination as a brand statement with Quality, Service, Value, Convenience in support of that position. The Port is aggressively implementing a marketing plan that emphasizes tourism as a core strategic imperative with dollar multipliers that strengthen the local economy of Edmonds. An example of that work is the partnership between the Port and Puget Sound Express (PSE), the latter operating whale watching excursions from Edmonds Marina since 2015. PSE is now in their third year of operation at the Port of Edmonds and this year expects to bring over 15,000 new visitors to Edmonds. Many of these day visitors also discover the local attractions such as art galleries, restaurants and shops, and return for additional visits that increase sales and awareness for local businesses. The tourism promotion grant is intended to grow this type of visitorship. The Port works with the City of Edmonds and the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau to create innovative marketing strategies that will leverage the funding provided by the Port of Seattle. This grant funding is a force multiplier that enables the Port to expand our marketing reach into new segments that extends outside our local region, said Fred Gouge, commission president, including inland areas such as Salt Lake City, Denver, Phoenix and many other population centers. He continued, On behalf of the Port of Edmonds, I would like to thank the Port of Seattle as well as the City of Edmonds and the Tourism Bureau for their support and collaboration. Teamwork is essential to a successful tourism marketing campaign that will benefit the economic vitality of the entire community. Funding for Heritage Projects Since 2007, the Snohomish County Historic Preservation Commission reviews requests for funding the restoration or repair of archeological and historical resources unique to Snohomish County s local history. This year, the Commission received and reviewed over $100,000 in funding requests from local organizations. After evaluating the benefit that each project would have for the citizens of Snohomish County, they recommended to the County Council where funds should be allocated based on promoting the public s access to county history, professional development and capital improvements, or collections management. The funds are raised through a $1 recording document surcharge and set aside for preservation projects. Listed here are the projects the Historic Preservation Commission recommended and was approved by County Council for funding in 2017: The City of Edmonds has requested help with the exterior restoration of the original skylight on the Edmonds
July 2017 Page 6 Museum. The skylight has significant historical and aesthetic significance to the building. The Stillaguamish Pioneer Museum has original Arlington Times newspapers dating back to 1922. They have completed digitizing from 1922 to 1940 and this request is to fund digitizing from 1941 to 1950. Another proposed project for the Stillaguamish Pioneer Museum is the printing of a book detailing the stories behind the depiction of buildings and the architects in a historic quilt. Snohomish County Parks requested funding for public education about the history of Snohomish County by telling the history of seven individual park sites. The Edmonds South Snohomish County Historical Society would develop a travelling exhibit highlighting the history of Edmonds and South Snohomish County. The League of Snohomish County Historical Organizations would create hardcopy and electronic mobile tours of Snohomish County museums and genealogical societies. The Granite Falls Historic Society s project seeks to upgrade both hardware and software to enable improved access to maps of local historical sites. The Stanwood Area Historical Society is requesting support to repair and restore 11 of the original vintage windows in the D.O. Pearson home that was built in 1890. The City of Lynnwood Parks Department proposes to support teaching about the history of Lynwood with a virtual tour of historic Lynnwood sites, the creation of large visual displays and supporting heritage tours. The History Link project would add Snohomish County historical information to HistoryLink, the on-line encyclopedia of Washington State history. The Monroe Historical Society would scan and digitally enhance the newspaper collection and add Optical Character Recognition software to make the newspapers easily searchable. The Sky Valley Arts Council s proposed project is the restoration of the Startup Gym. This project is to bring the electrical and plumbing up to current standards. The Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society Project would develop interpretive signs to increase public awareness of the significance of the Arlington Pioneer Memorial Cemetery. About the Historic Preservation Commission: Through the Historic Preservation Commission, Snohomish County seeks to identify, preserve and protect significant historic and archaeological properties that celebrates the rich history of Snohomish County. The Historic Preservation Commission offers a number of services to support preservation efforts of these irreplaceable county assets including a registry of historic places, educational resources, and incentives for historic building rehabilitation. Go to the Historic Preservation Commission web page or contact Hal Gausman, Park s cultural resource manager, at: Hal.Gausman@co.snohomish.wa.us or 360-805-6729. LaBrue Joins Future of Flight After a lengthy search, the executive team at the Future of Flight Aviation
July 2017 Page 7 Center and Boeing Tour tapped Terry LaBrue to join the organization as its marketing and tourism director. He started on May 8. grandchildren. A world traveler, he enjoys Masters swimming, crosscountry, cycling and amateur photography. Welcome Terry! Tacoma, and Portland. He brings more than two decades of experience leading marketing and communications programs for a number of travel and tourism organizations including Grays Harbor County Tourism, the City of Westport Tourism, Seattle Center, and Quinault Beach Resort and Casino. As principal of LaBrue Communications, he created and implemented long-term marketing strategies and advertising and public relations initiatives to grow businesses, non-profits, and government programs. As an award-winning public relations professional, Terry is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and serves on its regional board, the North Pacific District. A Washington transplant from California, he graduated with honors from California State University, Fresno. Terry is married to wife Linda, and they have two grown children and three lively New Look, Name for Everett s Holiday Inn On Apr. 28, Bellingham-based Hollander Hospitality announced plans for an extensive transformation of the Holiday Inn Downtown Everett and its plan to rebrand the hotel as Delta Hotels by Marriott. An opening date is expected this summer. The multi-million dollar renovation will encompass the entire hotel, featuring redesigned guestrooms, extended stay suites, newly remodeled event space with stateof-the-art technology, intuitive redesigned public space, a new modern restaurant & bar concept, and an update to the exterior. The hotel will re-open with: 232 guestrooms, Approx. 13,500 square-feet of total meeting space including a, 7,000-square-foot grand ballroom, indoor swimming pool, fitness center and a business center. This will be the first Delta Hotels branded hotel in the Seattle area and only the second in the U.S. Hollander Hospitality operates multiple hotels under a number of well-known brands, including Best Western Premier, Courtyard by Marriott, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, and Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Seattle, Puyallup, The hotel s general manager, Greg Willie, can be reached at: greg.willie@marriott.com or 425-339-2000. News from VIC Services Annual Volunteer Recognition Event a Big Success More than 40 volunteers gathered on Apr. 28 at the Staybridge Suites in Mukilteo to honor numerous volunteers, and to celebrate another year of working together to help visitors fully experience Snohomish County. Four people were named Volunteer of the Year for their service and dedication:
July 2017 Page 8 Stacey Pfeiffer, visitor services and training manager, also gave volunteers recognition awards for 10 years, 5 years awards, 500 hours or more, 300 hours or more, and 200 hours or more of service. The Importance of Visitor Information Center Volunteers: Served over 30,000 visitors at the VICs Bob Temple, Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour VIC Provided more than 11,258 hours of service, an in-kind value of $326,369! Tourism is a 1 billion dollar industry and creates over 10,000 jobs in Snohomish County VIC Volunteers Provide Support at Local Community Events Marilyn Carlson, South County VIC at Heritage Park Clark Fowler, East County Snohomish VIC in historic downtown Snohomish Volunteers Amy Liaw from the visitor center at Future of Flight and Phyllis and Dick Henshaw of the East Snohomish County VIC answered many questions and distributed informative visitor guides to attendees of Paine Field Aviation Day on Saturday, May 20 and at the Marysville Strawberry Festival, June 10-17. Volunteers will provide community support and information services at these Summer events: the Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum s SkyFair on Saturday, July 22, Everett Mall Community Day on Sunday July 24, Fresh Paint at the Everett Marina on Saturday, August 19 & Sunday, August 20, the Evergreen State Fair August 24 September 4 and at the Vintage Aircraft Weekend Saturday, September 2 & Sunday, September 3. If you see their mobile Visitor Information Centers, please stop by and say hello! SCTB Provides Continued Hospitality Training Ginger Dollarhide, Special Projects at SCTB administration office Ginger also earned her 20 Year Service Award along with Andy Bresler, a Future of Flight volunteer. Karen Hume, another Special Projects volunteer, received her 15 Years of Service Award. Front desk staff are often guests first and only contact for visitor information. The Snohomish County Tourism Bureau s hospitality training sessions are designed to familiarize those employees with Snohomish County s events, attractions, sights, and experiences as well as those nearby. Stacey Pfeiffer, visitor services and training manager, conducted hospitality training for the front line staff at the Lynnwood Convention Center on Mar. 18. She also spoke at the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce volunteer appreciation luncheon on Apr. 26 about services and resources the bureau provides to other city and chamber visitor programs.
July 2017 Page 9 South Snohomish County VIC Welcomes New Neighbors Two new organizations are joined the South Snohomish County Visitor Information Center in making the Wickers Building their home at Heritage Park. To better serve travelers and guests to Snohomish County, volunteers attend a number of engaging training sessions and informative site tours. These events give volunteers an inside look at many of Snohomish County s popular destinations. They ask many questions and then share it with visitors as well as fellow volunteers. A hotel tour and hosted lunch at the Angel of the Winds Casino Resort on May 24 kicked off the summer schedule. Work continues to confirm dates and details for the following upcoming tours: The Lynnwood Chamber of Commerce celebrated their new office space with a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 20. Chamber Board Chairman Peter Harvey and Lynnwood Chamber ambassadors Valerie Claypool and Andrea Manchester welcomed guests including Snohomish County Councilmembers Sam Low and Terry Ryan, Economic Alliance Snohomish County President Patrick Pierce, Lynnwood City Councilmember Shannon Sessions, Lynnwood Mayor Nicola Smith, and Lynnwood Councilmembers George Hurst and Ian Cotton. For membership information, call 425-563-7505 or email info@ thelynnwoodchamber.com. On May 6, the Northwest Veterans Museum happily opened their doors to an enthusiastic crowd of representatives from several veterans organizations, families of veterans, and city and elected officials. On display in the museum is a plethora of personal belongings and letters, photographs, uniforms, equipment, and more that provide a glimpse into the lives of soldiers during times of war and peace. Hours: Mon., Thurs., and Sat., 11 a.m. 3 p.m. The Wickers Building is located at 19921 Poplar Way. Be sure to stop in and say hi! Volunteer Training and Familiarity Tours Skykomish River Valley including Sultan, Index, and Gold Bar Stillaguamish River Valley featuring Arlington, Darrington, and Oso Granite Falls, Lakes Stevens For more information about volunteer opportunities at the Visitor Information Centers, contact Stacey Pfeiffer, visitor services and training manager, 425-348-5802, ext. 103 or stacey@snohomish.org. Volunteer Opportunities Abound Would you like to share with visitors your favorite places to dine, shop, play, explore, and more? Then join our volunteer family and make new friends plus learn more about Snohomish County s secrets and surprises! As a visitor information center
July 2017 Page 10 volunteer, you ll meet people from around the world and learn more about what Snohomish County has to offer to visitors and locals alike. We can also use your talents at the administration office to assist with a variety of tasks such as data entry, mailings, and more. Flag Football World Championship Tour. They also attended various educational sessions. Contact Stacey Pfeiffer, visitor services and training manager, 425-348- 5802, ext. 103 or stacey@snohomish.org for more information. Snohomish County Visitor Information Center locations: East Snohomish County Branch 1301 First St. (From Hwy 2 or Hwy 9), Snohomish Phone: (360) 862-9609 Open: Mon. Sun. 10 a.m. 5 p.m., year-round South Snohomish County Branch at Heritage Park 19921 Poplar Way (I-5 exit 181), Lynnwood Phone: (425) 776-3977 Open: Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat., 10 a.m. 4 p.m.; Tues., Thurs., & Sun., 9 a.m. 3 p.m. Snohomish County Visitor Center at Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour 8415 Paine Field Blvd. (I-5 Exit 189 West), Mukilteo Phone: (425) 438-8100, ext. 236 Open: 10 a.m. 4 p.m. daily The Sports Pages NASC Sports Events Symposium Tammy Dunn, sports development director, Ryan Gilmore, sports sales manager, and Haley Lannom, sports sales & events coordinator, represented the Snohomish County Sports Commission at the 25th Annual National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) Sports Events Symposium, Mar. 27-30, in Sacramento, California. The team met with 31 sports event owners to learn what sporting events Snohomish County could host from 2018 and beyond. They met with USA Badminton, Biggest Loser Race Series, Urban Warrior Games, USA Gymnastics, USA Track & Field, National Beep Baseball Association, and The Snohomish County Sports Commission was a finalist for the 2016 Sports Commission of the Year, an award given to a standalone sports commission, sports council, or sports authority for their outstanding impact on their local community through sport tourism, and commitment to the NASC and its mission. The Harris County Houston Sports Authority was awarded the honor for 2016. Colorado Springs Sales Mission Immediately following the NASC Sports Events Symposium, Tammy Dunn traveled to Colorado Springs to meet with several US Olympic Sports NGBs. She met with USA Volleyball, U.S. Figure Skating, USA Triathlon, and Corporate Games to learn about upcoming sports events for opportunities to bid and host those competitions. Recent Sports Events & the Economic Impact NWAC Men & Women Basketball Championships, March 9-12, & March 18-19, 2017 This year, 4,400 spectators attended the basketball championship to watch 16 men s and 16 women s teams play over six days at Walt Price Fitness Center at Everett Community
July 2017 Page 11 College. Room Nights: 793 Economic Impact: $1,021,705 USA Gymnastics Collegiate Men & Men State Championships, March 24-26, 2017 Eight teams from across the United States competed in the USA Gymnastics Collegiate Men Championships at the Walt Price Fitness Center at Everett Community College. In addition, 386 men gymnasts competed at the USA Gymnastics Washington State Men Championships in the same weekend. Room Nights: 223 Economic Impact: $424,613 Pacific Northwest AAU Karate District Championships, April 1, 2017 USA Karate Academy Shoreline welcomed 130 karateka to the annual Pacific Northwest AAU Karate District Championships at Lynnwood High School. Room nights: 50 Economic Impact: $37,155 USA Gymnastics Men s Region 2 Championships, April 6-9, 2017 Everett Community College had 545 gymnasts, level 4-10, from Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Montana, and Washington. Room Nights: 300 Economic Impact: $764,313 Lake Stevens Spring Sprint Invitational, April 8-9, 2017 The Lake Stevens Rowing Club welcomed 27 rowing clubs to compete in juniors, open, and masters divisions. Room Nights: 60 Economic Impact: $188,844 9, 2017 The annual event produced by the Snohomish Running Company attracted 431 runners for the half marathon and 232 runners for the 10K race. Room Nights: 50 Economic Impact: $37,155 USA Gymnastics State Compulsory Championships, April 21-23, 2017 Northwest Aerials hosted the championships at Walt Price Fitness Center at Everett Community College. Over 800 gymnasts competed over the three-day competition. Room Nights: 82 Economic Impact: $650,519 Snohomish Women s Run, May 7, 2017 The annual women s only event saw 333 runners compete in the half marathon and 561 runners compete in the 10K race. Room Nights: 43 Economic Impact: $82,364 Around Snohomish County Puget Sound Express Offers New 3-Day NW Culinary Cruise, Oct. 27-29 Make plans now for a fall culinary and adventure excursion led by Chef Diane LaVonne of Diane s Market Kitchen in Seattle and the experienced crew of Puget Sound Express. Savor culinary explorations led by Chef Diane aboard the comfortable, spacious Glacier Spirit during the day and her cooking demonstrations in the evening. Be alert for majestic orcas, humpback whales, and other marine life as you cruise Penn Cove, Dungeness Wildlife Refuge, and the Salish Sea. You ll overnight at the historic Ravenscroft Inn in Port Townsend and explore the seaside town on your own after dinner. The cruise is limited to just 15 guests, ensuring you will enjoy the camaraderie of your fellow foodies and personal attention from Chef Diane and the Puget Sound Express staff. Go to the 3-Day Taste of Northwest Culinary Cruise web page to view the prospective itinerary, make reservations, and for more information. New Name for Flying Heritage Collection On Mar. 28, the Flying Heritage Collection announced construction of a third hangar and its new name, Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum, to fully reflect the scope of the museum s collections and mission. Everett Half Marathon & 10K, April
July 2017 Page 12 touchscreens, visitors can choose how they want to explore the complex topic of war in an engaging and easy to understand way. Upcoming Summer Events The summer season kicked off with the museum s popular and loud Tankfest Northwest on May 27. The day-long event showcased military equipment demonstrations and displays, remote control tanks, educational presenters, plenty of activities for children, and more. Go to www.flyingheritage.com for tickets and the calendar page for a complete lineup of scheduled public events. Since it s opening in 2008, our mission has been to offer visitors unique ways to explore and examine history, which we ve accomplished by providing firsthand experiences with the world s finest collection of flying aircraft, said Adrian Hunt, executive director, Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum, in a press release. We re thrilled to evolve the brand to reflect our ever-growing collection of planes, tanks and artifacts. The Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum will break ground on a third hanger in 2017. By adding 30,816 square feet of new hangar space, the museum will increase its capacity to accommodate the growing collection of aircraft and vehicles. Plans call for introducing more than 40 artifacts including vehicles and planes in 2017 making it the largest operational military vehicle and warbird collection on the west coast. This expansion is the result of the growth in historic military aircraft and iconic combat armor. The Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum is located at 3407 109th St SW in Everett. High Ropes Course Now Open On May 4, Snohomish County leaders joined with Scott Chreist, owner of High Trek Adventures Aerial Park & Zip Line, to celebrate the official opening of Everett s newest attraction located at Paine Field Community Park. Snohomish County Executive Director Ken Klein, County Councilmembers Stephanie Wright and Sam Low, and Parks, Recreation and Tourism Director Tom Teigen joined Scott for the ribbon cutting ceremony and welcome. High Trek Adventures Aerial Park & Zip Line is a high ropes course that includes more than 800 feet of zip line around the premises. The course is color-coded based on difficulty so participants can easily choose their level of adventure. The three levels of heights are 15, 30, and 45 feet above the ground. New Exhibit: Why War: The Causes of Conflict - This highly interactive exhibit examines the major wars in America s history, exploring common causes and roots of military confrontations. Featuring full-scaled, detailed replicas and large-scale The attraction will also offer event services for birthdays, celebrations, corporate teambuilding, company picnics, and other groups. Go to hightrekeverett.com for pricing, reservations, hours, and more information.