Readers voted recently on the top stories Lynnwood Today published in 2021. Here are the top eight vote-getters:

The overwhelming favorite was a story about a local publisher Brett Reistroffer, who encouraged people to read more bizarre and spooky stories last Halloween. It received 36% of the vote cast in the poll.

In the article published days before Halloween, Reistroffer – who owns the Lynnwood-based publishing company Bad Dream Entertainment – said he got into publishing in 2013 initially to create comics. When that did not work, Reistroffer said he decided to turn his business into a publishing company that catered to underground dark fiction and science-fiction authors. Reistroffer said he typically publishes one or two short stories a year and describes his selections as “weird” or “surreal” but also story driven. 

“There’s so many great authors in the field right now that are legitimately great storytellers (and) great writers,” he said. “They’re telling quality stories that aren’t campy slashers.”

To learn more about Bad Dream Entertainment and their published works, visit baddreamentertainment.com.

In second place in the reader poll was Lynnwood Today’s coverage of the complaints filed against recently elected Lynnwood City Council candidate Josh Binda, who was accused of misappropriating campaign funds during his campaign last fall for Lynnwood City Council Position 3.

According to multiple complaints filed with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, Binda failed “to timely and accurately report expenditure details” and spent “campaign funds for activities not directly related to candidacy”. The complaint says Binda has used campaign donations on haircuts, dental work, jewelry, airfare to Mexico, electronics, event tickets and rent for his apartment. After the initial complaint was filed, several of the expenditures were removed or amended.

The third-most popular article was about the 2021 Women’s March, where hundreds of pro-choice demonstrators lined 196th Street Southwest in October to show support for women’s reproductive rights.

The demonstration was one of more than 650 similar protests across the country that were primarily sparked by legislation in Texas banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to not rule the Texas measure unconstitutional. The event was hosted by the Salish Sea Chapter of the Washington State Federation of Democratic Women.

“We need to have autonomy for our own bodies,” said Chapter President Cathy Baylor of Lynnwood.

Two articles were tied for the fourth-most votes in our poll.

One of those was Lynnwood Today’s Taking Shape column, which covers construction around Lynnwood. The series of articles was inspired by a reader inquiry about the many construction projects underway across the city, including mixed-use and commercial developments as well as transportation projects.

The first article featured Lynnwood Place Phase 2 – a mixed-use project comprising dwelling units, retail, office and entertainment spaces, as well as a Home Depot on the southern portion of the former Lynnwood High School site. The 19.1-acre site includes 18,000 square feet of commercial space and 500 apartment units offered at market value. The project included constructing four, five-story multi-family residential buildings units over a single podium of parking and ground-floor retail and surface parking. Two of the residential towers opened for leasing in December 2021.

The second story tied for fourth place was about Grocery Outlet relocating to the former QFC site located in north Lynnwood.

Last February, Grocery Outlet moved from its former location in Lynnwood Square near 196th Street Southwest to the building previously occupied by QFC on Highway 99. The former QFC store closed March 2020 and was a staple in north Lynnwood for more than 20 years. The new Grocery Outlet features more than 500 additional products and is decorated with graphic artwork.

Three stories were tied for fifth place, beginning with a card game created by a local couple that offered players a chance to laugh at 2020.

2020: The Game was developed by Lynnwood High School alumnus Jonathan Noble and his girlfriend Kathryn Christensen, who said they created the game as a way to process a year of divisive politics, the COVID-19 pandemic and toilet paper shortages with a laugh. Players start the game by rolling a die, which determines their positions on three top issues that are maintained throughout the game — Black Lives Matter or Blue Lives Matter, pro-Trump or anti-Trump, and pro-mask or anti-mask. From there, players alternate drawing cards and watching as 2020 unfolds before them.

To learn more about 2020: The Game or order it online, visit 2020thegame.store.

Next in the three-way tie for fifth place was an article about the Trieu family, who found success after opening Evergreen Beauty College in Lynnwood 25 years ago.

The cosmetology school first opened in 1996 and was located on Highway 99. It eventually relocated to Everett and expanded to six locations in Washington state, including their newest school in Bellingham. Mama Thi Trieu, who founded the company with her husband Hoa, said she named her school “Evergreen” to represent the ability to always grow.

These days, Mama Thi — who lives in Edmonds — leaves the business’ day-to-day operations to her children, including Edmonds-Woodway High School graduate Joe Trieu, who is the business’ president.

“The family business has forced us to go deeper and learn how to work with different personality types more effectively because you don’t just fire or quit on your siblings,” he said. “This has really humbled us and made us much more likable human beings. I love how we have accomplished more because of each other and rise together so there is no jealousy between the siblings.”

Rounding off the top vote-getter was Lynnwood Today’s coverage of the 2021 election, including Christine Frizzell being elected the city’s new mayor.

Last November, 54% of Lynnwood voters elected Frizzell over Lynnwood City Councilmember Jim Smith to serve as mayor for the next four years. She replaces former two-term Mayor Nicola Smith, who didn’t seek reelection. 

Following the preliminary Nov. 2 results that showed Frizzell leading the race, she offered thanks to her two daughters, Janine and Denise, and “the many voters of Lynnwood for their trust in me.”

“I have met so many wonderful people at your own front door and am grateful for your conversations and your vote,” she said.

–By Cody Sexton