Letters to the editor

King a neighbor

for everyone

I am writing this to encourage the voters of Marysville to cast their ballots for Tom King, who is running for City Council position 3.

I have been lucky enough to have lived next door to Tom for 33 years. He is that guy you can call anytime, and he is there.

I witnessed his strength, when his infant daughter was diagnosed with a condition that has become a lifelong challenge, and he became an active participant in her care.

I watched him bury his mom, his father-in-law and then discover his wife’s cancer had returned, all within two months. With love and patience, he faithfully stayed by her side, allowing her to pass with grace and dignity. Tom was born and raised in Marysville and cares deeply for our community. He is retired, but immediately started volunteering at the Marysville Food Bank, where he was recognized last December as Volunteer of the Month. He is also president of Kiwanis and attends St. Philips Episcopal Church. My husband and I just moved this past month, and in true Tom form, he was right there offering a helping hand.

I have often said, “Everybody needs a neighbor like Tom King,” so if you vote for him, that is what you’ll get.

I feel very blessed to call this man, friend.

Betty Bjorn, Marysville

Don’t scorn police;

Thank them

Being long in the tooth I remember the time when people respected the police and were ashamed of anyone who openly disrespected them.

Now people seem to wear disrespect as some twisted badge of honor. I wanted to just take a minute and give our police officers the credit they deserve. People do not realize that with an extremely limited staff and equally limited budget the crime rate of Arlington is equal to a town one-third its size.

The only exception to this is in property crime, and we can thank the ease of access to I-5 for that component.

Next time you are out in the evening and you see an officer, stop and tell them thank you. It is because of their selfless efforts that you are able to be out in the evening.

Robert Baize, Arlington

Call school district

about your needs

The Marysville School District is going to spend the next year asking parents, staff, students and the community how we can best ensure our schools meet the needs of our students and community.

We want to answer the following questions:

•What can our district do better and differently to prepare every one of our students to realize their full potential?

•What grades of students should be in each of our schools?

•Do our facilities meet the needs of our students and community or are improvements needed?

The district cannot do this work alone. We will spend time listening, engaging and communicating with the community. There will be opportunities to participate in meetings, give feedback via surveys and get involved in helping to answer these questions.

We are outlining our engagement process and will keep you posted on our next steps, which will also include reviewing and refreshing our strategic plan to make sure we continue to best serve our students and community.

To learn more sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/SecondaryPlanningSignUp Emily Wicks, Marysville School District

Nehring works hard for community

When considering who to vote for I look not only at where a candidate stands on the important issues but also at character. Watching County Councilman Nate Nehring govern as well as campaigning to retain his council seat over the past several months has confirmed to me he is my candidate. I have worked with Nate on issues important to the county as well as my community. I have found him to be a man of integrity and principle. Nate doesn’t get sidetracked but instead sticks to the issues all while articulating his positions in a positive manner.

His hard work, dedication to his constituents and knowledge of the issues have made him an elected official to be proud of and one we need to have continuing to represent us.

I ask you to join me in voting to keep Councilman Nate Nehring on the Snohomish County Council this coming November.

Kevin Ashe, Darrington