Congratulations to Jim Pearman, Dan Grausz and Mike Grady, winners of the Mercer Island City Council races, and to newly elected members of the Mercer Island School District Board of Directors, John DeVleming and Adair Dingle.
Judy Clibborn
“It’s wonderful — I quit smoking years ago, and I feel sorry for anyone who can’t quit.”
The Firehouse Munch is a holiday tradition and much more. Chili is served. Cookies and hot cocoa are snatched up by hands both big and small. The Firefighters host the event at their spotless firehouse; the City, local businesses and the Chamber of Commerce coordinate the event. Many others such as city employees and business people, who may not live here, also make it happen. Many if not most of these community events — films in the park, free summer activities, events for young and old and Summer Celebration! — are pulled together with panache and skill by the City of Mercer Island employees.
By Deborah Boeck
“I use it to do homework and when my parents can’t pick me up.”
Lisa Strauch-Eggers
A lot has happened on Mercer Island on Alan Merkle’s watch as mayor for the last six years:
Whether we celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, or festivities of the New Year, the holidays are about traditions. Traditions are a way of remembering who we are and what we believe. Traditions honor our ancestors, our roots, our heritage and faiths. And at the end of the calendar year, the holidays and these traditions mark a time to take stock of our lives, to reconnect with loved ones and renew ourselves for the coming year. But even though the definition of the word tradition means that we practice certain rituals in the same way each year, it is curious to note how those customs and practices change over time. The practice of these oft-ancient customs morphs over time into new ones, often in subtle ways we don’t even notice.
For my great grandfather who lived in another place and in another epoch, Christmas was a time of terror; a time to hide and a time of suffering and loss.^kaThat was at another time in another place but still, Great-grandfather-Lapin is astounded today to see his great-grandson defending Christmas. For this reason I must address my remarks now to him rather than to you.
In Montana, getting drunken drivers off the road is a year-around job for the Montana Highway Patrol. For Labor Day weekend and other holidays, each of the eight patrol divisions puts together an enforcement plan to target safety problems in its area, according to Capt. Butch Huseby of the Patrol’s Helena office. Drunken driving is one target, but not the only hazard the patrol officers pursue.
The Billings City Council’s decision against a proposed contract to treat Lockwood sewage is a lost opportunity for both Billings and the Lockwood community. The Gazette’s endorsement of this decision is equally divisive. A number of points can be made in support of the contract, but little can support its denial.
