We applaud all the City Council candidates for their willingness to seek election to positions that will be hard, sometimes contentious, but valuable work.The six candidates bring a variety of backgrounds, knowledge and viewpoints in their bids to help lead the Island for the next four years.
Mayor Alan Merkle
Of all the issues we see facing the youth on Mercer Island, one of the most distressing for all of the staff members who work with youth is the level of drug and alcohol use. From my first few days on the job, community members as well as other people have come up to me in my office or at Summer Celebration and said things such as “You know, we have a great community, but we have to do something about the kids’ drinking” ? or ? “If you can do anything in your job, can you make a difference in the amount of drinking by kids on the Island?" These aren’t isolated comments. They come in a steady stream and in many forms. They come not from people wanting to make disparaging remarks about Island life, but from Islanders who speak softly and care deeply about their child, their neighbor’s child or one of their children’s friends.
On the evening of October 3, the Mercer Island City Council was shown a letter signed by officials of Seattle, Bellevue, King County and Sound Transit that virtually assures Island SOV drivers will be able to drive in I-90 HOV lanes for years to come. The letter, signed by the mayors of Seattle and Bellevue and leaders of Sound Transit and King County, is a concrete representation of their collective belief that the way to mitigate any loss of our existing SOV/HOV access is to grant the right for Islanders to drive in any new HOV lanes, when and if those lanes are moved to the outside roadway.
“A monkey.”
Raymond Larsen
Veterans Day is this Friday, Nov. 11, a day to remember and a day to honor those who have served our country in the Armed Forces. We salute not just veterans of recent conflicts, but those who were posted to Desert Storm, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Vietnam and Normandy.
Cheryl Frizzell
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.
