The return of a lost dog is hardly front page news. But as I considered the part I played in the return of a frightened Yorkshire terrier to her grateful owner this week, I felt compelled to write about it. In fact, this might be the most important story of my year.
The Forum piece this week (reprinted from The Bellingham Herald below) is about a couple who lived on Mercer Island for many years, Ron Queisser and Cindi Williamson, who now live in Bellingham. When they lived here, the couple, despite the pressures of family, jobs and household made a decision to stick their necks out on the war in Iraq. Not long after Shock and Awe, they began tallying the loss of life in Iraq by posting the number of dead on a sign in their backyard. Posted at the corner of 78th Avenue S.E. and S.E. 37th Street, the sign was very visible to the hundreds of motorists driving past each day.
We often read in the newspapers or hear from friends about someone who was injured or killed by a drunk driver. Throughout middle and high school, our children are constantly educated by the local D.A.R.E. and M.A.D.D. programs about the important issue of drug and alcohol abuse and of driving while intoxicated.
It was another smashing success for the Island’s Summer Celebration! It was the 17th summer of the weekend party. The weather was perfect, the food tasty and the crowd happy. The pirates scared and delighted revelers, although the cannon fire just might have been a tiny bit excessive. The fireworks were spectacular and the addition of Metro transportation to ferry people back and forth from the park, brilliant (and sustainable).
It’s time for the yearly spate of letters to the Reporter objecting to the proliferating political campaign signs. In my seven years on the Island, residents have made some excellent points in their letters-to-the-editor, protesting the signs on aesthetic, waste and even moral grounds. Alas, I can only recall one such letter last year, from a very bright Middle School girl.
Each fall, campaign signs sprout up like dandelions. But this year, election time has made an early appearance. With the exception of Bob Bersos, signs of the other three candidates for Position 3 on the City Council are already posted in dense clusters throughout the Island and Town Center.
Creating a healthy and sustainable community requires that we all share our limited resources — including our roads and trails. As a key part of the City Council’s sustainability initiative, the Council will be reviewing the city’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities Plan at a study session on Aug. 6 and we want your input.
The 2007 election season has become too long, but the topics remain crucial and complex. Even though we may already be weary from the presidential races, we must turn our attention to the political campaigns in our own backyard. Nothing less that the future character and perhaps the culture of Mercer Island is at stake. In the next few years, continuing Town Center development and changes to Interstate 90 will irrevocably shape the Island and its people for decades to come. And at the center of this will be our seven-member Mercer Island City Council.
On Aug. 21, voters will be asked to pick one of the four candidates running for Mercer Island City Council Pos. 3. The top two vote-getters will then run against each other in the general election on Nov. 6.
Nigel Avilez
Island Forum
Stowe Sprague
Island Forum
Councilman Sven Goldmanis should resign from the City Council. If he does not do so voluntarily, the City Council or a citizen should bring proceedings to remove him. Mr. Goldmanis flaunts the law. He failed to establish his Mercer Island residency and file a valid voter registration address for more than three years — a violation of the law. And there are other legal entanglements that make it plain Mr. Goldmanis has no business remaining on the City Council any longer.
Daniel Johnson
Island Forum
