Ciscoe, the northwest's favorite high-spirited ultra-enthusiastic gardening guru, is coming to Arlington.

The Arlington Education Foundation (AEF) and Arlington Hardware, along with other local merchants, have teamed up to host an Evening Garden Party--A Night Out with Ciscoe in downtown Arlington on Thursday, May 16, from 6-9 p.m. at Arlington Hardware.

The garden party is open to everyone, with free drawings held every half-hour. There will also be exclusive seating upstairs during a sit-down session with Ciscoe from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. for a $25 donation.

Ciscoe will be available to answer all your garden questions and will talk about his travels and garden experiences. Seating is limited to 400, so Kathy Burkholder, AEF Board member, suggests purchasing your tickets early from Arlington Hardware, Arlington Pharmacy, or Flowers by George.

A Master Gardener will also be on hand to answer questions. Cedar Glen Bees will demonstrate bee keeping and hive maintenance and will sell their local honey. Healthy and beautiful baskets and plants will be on sale from Garden Treasures Nursery.

Each of the three AEF grant winners will demonstrate their projects and talk about how and why they are educationally important for Arlington's kids. The elementary choir performance begins at 6:45 pm.

Beverages, finger foods, popcorn, and treats will be complimentary, and the Olympic Theater will run a free age-appropriate movie for kids so they can have their own fun while their parents attend the event, shop for bargains, and meet Ciscoe. Arlington High School honor society and leadership students will keep an eye on the kids at the theater.

Special drawings will be held for exclusive ticket holders to give away a chain saw, rototiller, $400 worth of landscaping services, and a beautiful wheelbarrow, hand painted by local Marysville artist Harry Engstrom. Engstrom's murals decorate many buildings in our local area, and can be found in most of the western states and Alaska.

The Arlington Education Foundation, a non-profit organization, was formed in 2002 originally to raise $2.5 million as matching funds to the $2 million from the Arlington School District for construction of its Performing Arts Center. After that initial success, the group reorganized and formed a new charter. There are now 14 AEF Board members, with Cindy Huleatt serving as its president. The organization's focus is on raising and providing funds to support other educational programs and projects within Arlington Public Schools that will enhance opportunities and benefit the current and future generations of residents.

Out of 14 grant applications for projects that were submitted, the Foundation approved and is committed to raising $72,000 to fund the top three that best fit their mission statement: A music library for the elementary schools, a video production facility at AHS, and Smart Board teacher stations for Post Middle School.

The music library will be a choral music library for all five elementary schools in the Arlington school district, from which they can all draw and come together to perform the same music. The elementary music teachers will coordinate the selection and purchase of choral music, with copyright issues all addressed under one umbrella. AEF has committed to raising $15,000 in cash and in-kind donations to establish this choral library.

The video production program has the potential for both private and public participation. It is a class for Arlington High Schools students to participate in live production and broadcast of community and school events, including, among others, school board meetings, city council meetings, sporting events, and special events in and around Arlington.

Twenty-eight Smart Board teaching stations will be purchased and installed in each classroom at Post Middle School, facilitating a wide variety of instructional practices to support student learning and maximize the use of teacher prep and instruction time. Funding will also provide for Promethian Board interactive whiteboard installation in all the math and science classrooms. AEF has pledged to raise $47,000 in cash and in-kind donations for this project.

The AEF welcomes the public's ideas for worthy projects to fund that are consistent with improving the quality of public education in Arlington. If you or your business would like to provide sponsorship or make a contribution, it is a wonderful way to give back to the community while benefiting local education for years to come. Upcoming events will include a wine-tasting fundraiser in the fall. For information, questions, contributions or volunteer opportunities, please call 360-435-1337 or visit the web site at www.arlingtonedfoundation.org.

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