A political insider gets his bridge, months after death
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, August 14, 2018
STANWOOD — The first time Snohomish County named a bridge after Jim Donner, it was in jest.
That was nearly 11 years ago. Donner, a GOP stalwart, delighted in pushing people’s buttons, especially if those people happened to be in public office. County Council members, tongues firmly in cheek, responded in kind.
They renamed a rickety Lynnwood-area bridge in his honor, noting that it was slated to be torn down. That was in 2007, just one highlight in Donner’s antics stretching back to the 1960s.
This spring, Donner died unexpectedly after a stroke. He was 79.
Last week, elected leaders honored the local activist in earnest.
The County Council voted unanimously Aug. 6 to rename Hatt Slough Bridge No. 4 the Jim Donner Bridge. Fittingly, it’s near the Warm Beach home that has been in his family for generations.
Councilman Sam Low spoke before the vote. The Republican had hired Donner as a political consultant for campaigns that would turn out to be successful.
“I don’t think I could say anything without crying, so I’ll just leave it at that,” Low said.
Democrats also shared kind words.
“Jim was a friend. I really, really miss him,” Council Chairwoman Stephanie Wright said. “A lot of occasions have already come up where I’ve thought, ‘What would Jim think?’ Or, ‘I’d love to tell Jim this.’ ”
Councilman Brian Sullivan, a Democrat, remembered a lighter side of their partisan sparring.
“One of his favorite jokes when I disagreed with him is he would nickname me ‘one way,’ ” Sullivan said. “So I just want to make sure that the bridge is two ways.”
It is. An average of 5,500 vehicles cross the 800-foot span daily.
Other county thoroughfares honoring notable locals include the Wes Smith Bridge on the edge of Index. Its namesake, a local elder, was the first person to drive over the newly opened bridge in 1999. He died three years later, at age 90.
Bernie Webber Drive on the west side of Paine Field pays tribute to a respected watercolor artist from Everett who died in 2006.
Donner’s family appreciates the accolades.
“Ultimately, he loved this county more than anything,” said his daughter-in-law, Crystal Donner. “This kind of brings everything together for us. It was more than he could ever have asked for.”
The appreciation doesn’t end there.
Shortly before his death, Donner was named to the Evergreen Fair Advisory Board. Two events on the fair’s opening day, Aug. 23, are planned to celebrate his memory. As part of the festivities at 10 a.m., his widow, Geri Donner, will cut the ribbon to mark the ceremonial start of the 12-day fair. Donner also will be among the honorees at a 2 p.m. ceremony.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@herald net.com. Twitter: @NWhaglund.
