Letters

Editor: How would you like to walk out your back door and see a 35-foot wall running right down the fence line of your and your neighbor’s homes? That’s what several Gateway neighbors are facing right now if the city council, possibly as early next week, approves an upzone of three lots at 5406-5410 240th SW….

Dear Editor:  After a 23-year career as a Snohomish County judge, having served over 18 years on our Superior Court, I retired from that service last year. While I have now left the court, I have a strong interest in maintaining and improving the quality of our judiciary. It is for this reason that I…

Editor: For the past 85-plus years, the Sievers family served Snohomish County in a few roles, but none more public and distinguished than that of Snohomish County Treasurer. The recognition given to the family by the county in the naming of the Sievers Plaza is but a small step in recognizing the family’s dedicated and…

Editor: In my 39 years as a judge, I had the pleasure of serving with many good judges. A year ago, the governor selected Edirin Okoloko from a large field of candidates to fill a vacancy on the Snohomish County Superior Court, and since he took office, Judge Okoloko has distinguished himself as one of…

Editor: What has 1,400 feet and a smile that can light up the whole county? Answer: 700 girls and their running buddies crossing the finish line at Saturday’s Girls on the Run of Snohomish County’s Spring 5k at Everett Memorial Stadium in Everett! All our girls – from 51 teams throughout Snohomish County – came…

Editor: I am writing to ask you to vote for Jesse Salomon. In prior elections, I have endorsed very few candidates, because in our democracy each voter should make his or her own decision and cast their vote for the best candidate. In this election, I feel compelled to say it is unequivocally clear the…

Editor: The effort to defeat Senator Chase in this election has expended over $120,000. A substantial amount of that represents contributions by Monsanto, Chevron, pharmaceutical interests, charter schools, developers, and real estate agents. They use relentless attacks by The Seattle Times in their effort to to defeat Senator Chase. Why are they doing this? They…

Dear Editor: How to tell fake news from real news is one of the challenges of our times. It takes time and energy to maneuver through all the questions: Can I trust the source? Does it ring true? Am I just believing because it fits my world view? What fears is this playing on? Can…

Editor: Why is our PUD rushing to hire a new General Manager right before the election, with two PUD commission seats on the ballot? Results of the primary election indicate that the public is ready for a change in leadership, yet the current leadership seems to be pushing to keep control. Decisions by the PUD…

Dear Editor:  I smoked for 15 years and my husband smoked for 10, smoking a pack of cigarettes per day. We were very concerned about our health, so we switched to vaping. We could immediately feel the benefits. My husband could easily walk up a flight of stairs, which was no small feat before! But…

Editor: As a lifelong library user and concerned citizen of Snohomish County, I urge you to vote “Yes” on April 24th for the Library Levy Prop. 1. Libraries are essential to healthy, thriving communities. People of all ages and backgrounds enjoy and depend on the services offered at their community library. Children and teens benefit…

Editor: MLTNews.com recently reported that Sound Transit and Metro will be hosting meetings to address the demand for scarce commuter parking at their various park and ride facilities. The focus will be on charging single-occupancy vehicles parking fees to utilize transit facilities so that parking is available for commuters after the early morning hours. It…

Dear Editor:   We are so fortunate to have one of the finest school districts in the state. The educational programs, special services and extra-curricular activities that are provided for our students continue to receive top honors and awards for excellent achievements.    A primary reason for the success of our programs is the fact…

Dear Editor: I knew going into this that I was going to have an uphill battle. My goal was to change the narrative and give people a choice of a new type of candidate, one who actually came from their ranks. I still feel passionate about the out of control growth we are experiencing and…

Editor: Cathy Baylor is an excellent candidate for the Edmonds School District Board of Directors. I’d like to tell you why I am voting for her. I first met Cathy Baylor at a candidate’s meeting where she was seeking an endorsement. She answered the questions thoughtfully. Each of her responses included the aspect of inclusion…

Dear Editor: One of the important races on the ballot this November is the race for School Board Director for District 2 between incumbent Ann McMurray and challenger Mitchell Below. McMurray cites her record during the past twelve years as the reason voters should choose her. I have not seen McMurray display a positive role…

Dear Editor: I’ve had the opportunity recently to visit nearly every school in the district, as students were either arriving at school or leaving. And so I’ve become aware of some very unsafe traffic situations at some of our schools. Yesterday I witnessed a “close call” involving a parent leaving a school and an early…

Dear Editor: After three failed Mountlake Terrace City Hall ballot measures in 2010, 2012 and 2013, the community went back to the drawing board. An advisory committee made of both proponents and opponents of past measures was created. The committee worked through most of 2017 and organized dozens of committee meetings and informal meetings throughout…