Bridge named for jokester, but not for long

Published 11:34 pm Wednesday, December 5, 2007

EVERETT — A few years back, Jim Donner jokingly told Snohomish County Councilman Dave Gossett he wanted a bridge named after him.

Then he began pressing Gossett and his colleagues about it — on the phone, in their offices, at their political functions — and never stopped.

Wednesday morning the somewhat curmudgeonly political insider got his wish from council members exhausted from years of his joshing.

They voted to put Donner’s name on a narrow wooden bridge on Ash Way over Swamp Creek.

They also made sure it won’t be up there long.

The county plans to tear down the span next year and replace it with a concrete one, then restore its current name, Swamp Creek Bridge No. 600.

Councilman Dave Somers said the decision “brings a small tear to my eye.”

He doesn’t expect any subsiding in requests from Donner, who lives in Stanwood.

“My door is always open to you, and so is my window,” Somers said.

Councilman Gary Nelson and Donner are Republicans who’ve known each other 40 years, though their ties are far from brotherly.

“I can’t imagine why we’re picking a bridge in my district,” he said with a laugh. “It’s very fitting because this is a very narrow-minded bridge.”

Nelson said he knew Donner, 69, could take the ribbing. “You’ve got skin thicker than any hide I’ve ever seen,” he said.

Donner managed a couple barbs in brief comments to the council.

He recalled how Democratic Councilman Kirke Sievers would say, “You’ll have to wait until the Republicans are back in power.” Donner said he wasn’t sure he’d live long enough for that moment.

He did express his appreciation.

“It’s been a long fight for a lot of years through two sets of council members, so thank you very much,” he told council members.

Donner is uniquely acquainted with each of the current council members. Through the years he’s pressed them on development projects for Westcott Homes, of which he is a principal. He’s raised money to elect them and counseled those trying to unseat them.

Donner ran Sievers’ 2007 campaign for county treasurer. And he managed Jeff Sax’s two county council campaigns against Somers — winning in 2002 to drive Somers out of office and losing in 2006 when he returned.

It was on a visit to the former sixth-floor council offices when he made the comment to Gossett.

“It was kind of like, ‘You ought to buy me lunch.’ I was joking,” Donner recalled.

But he kept bringing it up whenever he saw any of them.

“I liked to mention my bridge and ask how it’s coming and which bridge,” he said. “I used to see Gossett and say, ‘With your vote, I’ve got it handled.’ “

Gossett did eventually commit to trying: He offered to lay a plank across a depression in his back yard and call it a bridge. Donner held out for more.

Gossett prepared Wednesday’s bridge-naming resolution.

In it, he wrote how Donner’s lobbying “consumed countless valuable hours” of council members’ time and the action would “consequently result in a significant savings to taxpayers.”

The resolution concluded it is “very appropriate to name an old bridge in need of repair after Jim Donner.”

Donner said the resolution isn’t enough.

“They promised me there would be a ribbon cutting and they would have Kool-Aid and cookies,” he said.

Nelson laughed.

“I’ve known Donner for 40 years and he’s never drunk Kool-Aid in his life.”

Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.