It was Sept. 11, 2007, when Gov. Chris Gregoire came to Snohomish County to see firsthand the problems on U.S. Highway 2 that contributed to more than 45 deaths within seven years between Snohomish and Stevens Pass. That day, the governor toured the highway from Everett to Sultan. Then she declared it “a significant safety issue” that needed major improvements.
An odd thing happened in Iowa — or rather, it didn’t happen. You’d think that intellectual triumphs like space exploration and gene splicing would show that we’ve become better thinkers but just the opposite has taken place. If the Iowa primary reflected the nation’s quality of thinking, our mental processes definitely need some work.
With the challenges of government more complex than ever before — from economic recovery, local jobs creation and transportation infrastructure — the need for more efficient and responsive government along with intergovernmental cooperation has never been more critical.
The Marysville School District has a one-time opportunity to use the remaining 2006 school construction funds to qualify for $8 million in state funding for a bus transportation cooperative — a partnership between two or more districts. Marysville’s current transportation site is inadequate for present and future needs. Good stewardship of district funds, together with a favorable construction market and state support, provides an opportunity to meet critical needs at less cost to local taxpayers.
As we start yet another new year filled with possibility and challenge, I find myself reflecting on the many lessons learned this past year from stories of diversity and inclusion.
We’ve owned dogs. The last was a Cock-a-peke-a-poo our kids selected at an animal shelter, lo, those many years ago. And as usually happens, the kids grew up and moved on while the dog stayed. The
When lawmakers arrived Nov. 28 at the state Capitol for a special session, many of my fellow legislators and I were hopeful we could vote within the first couple days on a solution that would close a $2 billion state operating budget gap without raising taxes — and then go home, thus saving taxpayers the expense of an extended session.
This is always one of my favorite times of the year and a good time to reflect on all we have to be thankful for right here in Marysville.
The trains are coming! The trains are coming!
Marysville’s issue with increasing rail traffic is here to stay in spite of all the ink that’s been spilled over BNSF’s high-handed intention to slice Marysville in half with a chain saw of coal cars. From a local perspective it just isn’t fair but from the BNSF perspective, our perspective doesn’t count for much. BNSF has the law on its side.
