There’s something to the number three. It’s symbolically transcendent (the three wise men/the Holy Trinity), embraced by Hollywood (the Musketeers/Stooges/Amigos), and sometimes it’s just oddly coincidental — such as the trio of Mercer Island High School graduates from the 1970s who are now serving as Eastside mayors.
In addition to the Island’s own homegrown mayor and 1976 MIHS graduate, Jim Pearman, Bellevue’s mayor Grant Degginger (Class of 1973) and Newcastle’s Ben Varon (Class of 1975) grew up on the Island. Today, they are all fathers and husbands holding “real” careers outside of politics.
“It’s a full-time job on top of one,” Pearman said of serving as a mayor. “People don’t always understand the relationships and work that goes into this.”
Combined, the trio of mayors puts in countless hours to serve their respective communities as elected officials and crosses paths regularly, they said. Each are city councilmembers who are, in turn, appointed as mayor by fellow councilmembers. Their regular duties include meeting after meeting, collaborating with neighboring cities and sometimes suffering the brunt of local outrage during controversial topics. Yet, the three mayors all said that they appreciate the chance to participate in making each of their cities a better place to live.
“We all face the same issues,” Degginger said. “The Eastside has a good history of working together. We have a lot at stake together.”
These three mayors also have a shared history. During their high school days, the Island was changing much like it is today. New developments were being built, including the Mary Wayte Pool (originally called the Forward Thrust Pool) and the children’s park and waterfront docks at Luther Burbank Park. Metro began its service with its first bus routes around the Island and to Seattle. Staple businesses, such as Island Books, Robertos and Alpenland, opened their doors. Plus, a national gas shortage led to long lines and rationing at the Island’s stations.
The three can all reflect on what the Island used to be when they were younger — the Tradewell Supermarket, the downtown bowling alley and the dirt playfield at Mercerdale Park. And what about the styles back then? That is, the long hair, big mustaches and muscle cars. Sometimes, Varon said, he’ll see an old friend or teacher and have a laugh about how things used to be.
“I see a lot of my old teachers coming back. I ran into my old Spanish teacher and my old band teacher lives in Issaquah.”
Varon said that when he approached the band teacher after seeing him, he asked if he was remembered. “He said, ‘Oh, yeah I remember you. I know who you are.’ That’s what is great about a small community.”
The group may have spent its teenage years in the same high school hallways, but their lives have as much diversity as similarities — starting with the different neighborhoods that they grew up in. Degginger said his “old hood” was First Hill. His home was not far from the Roanoke or the controversial Tent City’s temporary location. Pearman now lives with his wife and two daughters in the home that his father built while he was growing up. He moved to the Island from Seattle. Varon lived in Mercerdale, not far from the park, and also moved from Seattle. He said they used to watch the fireworks from his house as the city launched them from the park.
After high school, neither of them headed down a similar path that would predicate their current similar political status. However, the three all left the region before returning to the Northwest. Degginger became an attorney based in Bellevue. But he also worked for a lawmaker in Washington, D.C., and served on the Bellevue Planning Commission before running for the city council.
Varon is a real estate agent who decided to run for politics when Real Estate Excise Taxes become a big topic in Newcastle. And Pearman works for the University of Washington School of Public Affairs. His civic involvement began with the fight to preserve Pioneer Park from becoming a golf course.
These former MIHS students do have some other similarities as well. They may not have been close friends back in the ’70s, since each was in a different class, but they did know of each other or a sibling. They were also successful students. Degginger was recognized as an Islander of the Month by the Rotary Club (Rotary continues the tradition today). He was also the senior class president and a student newspaper staff member. Degginger and Pearman both played soccer. Pearman was also on the swim team. Varon was president of the DECA Association. During his senior year, Pearman was selected among his peers to speak at his graduation ceremony. He wrote a forum for the Reporter celebrating American ideals during the bicentennial celebration, despite the black eyes obtained from the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal.
Fast-forward 30-plus years, and they are able to sit together to chat politics while sharing memories of the “old days” or recalling the excitement surrounding the births of their children. Pearman and Varon just learned that both of their daughters attend Mercer Island High School together as freshmen. In fact, all three of Varon’s children, Sarah, Rachel and Samuel, attend schools on Mercer Island. Two decided to come over through open enrollment and the other goes to NW Yeshiva. Varon has been married to his wife, Julie, for 15 years and his family can still be seen around the Island.
“My mom is still on the Island. I don’t think I’ll ever lose that connection to my hometown. I’m there almost everyday,” said Varon.
A strong connection with the Island remains among all three mayors, whether it is kids in school or working with Island leaders on regional policies. And the desire to remain in a suburban community is another shared trait among these three.
“I like working in local government because we get to see the fruits of our labor,” Degginger said. “And if people don’t like the work we’re doing, we hear about it in the grocery store.”
Varon and Pearman agreed that the community is at the heart of their service and that being a part of this trio is a unique bond.
“You know the three tenors; well, we’re the three mayors,” Pearman said.
