| Everett,
currently the county's largest city, both in area and population, employs a big chunk of the area's workforce. The Boeing Co., currently the region's largest employer with more than 31,000 workers, builds commercial jetliners at its facility near Paine Field. Other major local employers include Fluke Corp., which manufactures electronic testing equipment, and Naval Station Everett, currently the home port of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and six other ships.  Everett offers recreation fans 28 city-owned parks, two public 18-hole golf courses, a performing arts theater, and its own professional baseball team, the Everett AquaSox, a minor-league affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Everett Community College offers students two-year associate degrees and occupational training, and Henry Cogswell College's
four-year program focuses on engineering and technology. Although concerts and smaller events are frequent, Everett's major festival is Salty Sea Days, typically held the last weekend in May. The event includes hydroplane races on Silver Lake, a soapbox derby, a grand parade and a nightly fireworks show. Other local events include the Nubian Jam, Jetty Island Days, a community-wide Fourth of July celebration and the annual Sausage Festival. |
