Every once in a while you get news that really knocks the wind right out of you. That was the case a couple of weeks ago when I received word that my brother, Howard Olsen had passed away. It was a Sunday and I had just enough time to meet with my nieces and their families before returning to Olympia for the legislative session. Believe me, the trip was not an easy one.
Much has been written in the past couple of months regarding improving the U.S. 2 trestle. It is very unfortunately that nothing was done to secure funding back in 2004, when it would have cost $345 to replace the entire structure. Now, here we are a mere three years later and what will we be paying for? What the DOT calls access ramps (since they claim that capacity is not the problem) for $486 million, which, by the way, construction is not slated to begin until 2016. In addition to the DOT, many public officials have said that we should wait until funding becomes available to fix the structure. Wait for what? Wait for tens of thousands of more residents to move to south Marysville, Granite Falls, Lake Stevens, Snohomish, Monroe and all points in between? Wait until the cost rises into the billions? Wait until its takes over an hour to travel the two-mile stretch at 5 a.m.? We cannot wait to fix this nightmare. Whether by creating a special taxing district, introducing tolls, requesting assistance from the federal government or some other form, the time to act is now.
I write in response to Mark Griswolds letter dated Oct. 24, 2007. Were you at the kick off breakfast that Ken Hutcherson spoke at Mr. Griswold? I was there and there was no mention of the gay issue. What Ken spoke on was adoption, which is an issue very close to the hearts of both Tom Greene and Ken Hutcherson.
Several days ago a friend asked why I was again standing for election to the Arlington School Board. I pointed out that the current school board administration were failing to provide an adequate education for children resident in the Arlington area and I considered this unacceptable.
Marysville Food Bank
We had a dog-gone great time. This year, Cascade Valley Hospital Foundations 5K Poker & Paws Walk event was, again, a huge success. After all was said and done and the last of dog hair was swept away, we tallied up our dollars and raised more than $16,000, our best year yet. None of this could have been accomplished were it not for the generosity of our sponsors.
For every one of the two trillion dollars spent during the three-plus years of the Iraqi war, a hundred questions have been asked and a thousand answers given.
Looking for a good time
What does it take for all of you to drive a little safer and be more careful on the roadways? Ive been training entry-level truck drivers for almost 21 years and am concerned about how you, the motoring public, operate your vehicles. You see the large yellow Caution: Student Driver signs on the back of the trailers announcing to the motoring public that a rookie or novice driver is at the controls of the vehicle directly in front of them. We have taken the precautions to warn the public of the dangers, but the sad part of the overall story is that no one seems to care about safety anymore.
The volunteers at the Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Museum in Arlington received a grant from the Stillaguamish Tribe to help purchase a carved cedar map of the watershed through the Stillaguamish Valley. We want to thank the Tribe for its generosity in contributing dollars for a 7-foot by 12-foot carving.
Heartfelt thanks from the members of the Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Association to everyone who participated and attended the 10-year Anniversary of the Pioneer Museum, Saturday, March 10. We could not have accomplished what we did without the help from the community as a whole (private citizens and organizations alike).
I am writing you today to point out how the view of the German Shepherd dog has changed over the years; how this typical American hero has been reduced to somewhat of a villain and how this has affected the characteristic American Dream. During World War Two, the German Shepherd was used to complete many tasks and quickly took center stage in many households.
At the November 2007 election there will be two transportation measures on the same ballot. One requests funding for a Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID) list of road improvements. The second measure is for a Sound Transit (ST) list of projects. Edmonds Crossing, a proposal for a massive, new ferry terminal, is on both lists.
