Having a ball

Published 12:01 am Monday, July 4, 2011

Having a ball

Special is lit: Two structural engineers at a Mukilteo firm have designed a novel capsule that could save lives in the event of a tsunami. The four-person, spherical and water-tight tethered capsule would bob on the surface until the tsunami had receded (Page A4).

The capsule is an intriguing answer to a serious issue, but The Buzz wonders if the recreational possibilities of building a giant pinball machine for the spheres have been fully explored.

Rolling, rolling, rolling: Snohomish County Councilman Dave Gossett has scheduled the third and final forum on the county’s long-range transportation needs for Tuesday morning. Expect discussion on roads, transit, rail and more (Page B3).

Our suggestion: Set aside special lanes on county roads for self-propelled rolling spheres.

Don’t know much about history: On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted and signed by delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia (Page A2).

Fortunately for the nation, the Founding Fathers waited until after signing the document to light fireworks and still had all their fingers.

–Jon Bauer, Herald staff