Somehow it’s gotten to be May 2. Where did the last four months go? Does this mean we will actually have warm weather now? It’s such a pretty time of the year with tulips, rhodies, and flowering trees brightening up our usually gray world. As I write today, it’s a bright, blue-sky day that makes me want to go to the beach and enjoy a lunch-time walk. We are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful area.
Thinking about the beach reminds me that the city has finally begun work on a long-awaited public amenity. On Monday, May 5, work begins on the mid-waterfront walkway and bulkhead project. This stretch of beach has been in need of bulkhead repair and a pedestrian walkway for many years. You will soon be able to walk from the fishing pier to the Senior Center on this new walkway, and the new bulkhead will protect the beach property from the dangers of high tides.
This action continues the City Council’s long-term goal of pedestrian accessibility to our waterfront. The cost of the walkway is partially paid for by the real estate excise tax that is collected on every home sale in Edmonds. As you’ve heard many times, this fund is dedicated to park development and cannot be spent on anything else. Additional money came from state grants, thanks to state senators Paull Shin and Darlene Fairley.
My hat is off to Arvilla Ohlde, parks and recreation director, for her amazing work on this project. She fought through many obstacles, human and financial, to see this project through to fruition. She worked very hard with the residents along the waterfront to address their concerns and find common ground. As I have mentioned many times, no one will leave a greater legacy to this city, as an employee, than Arvilla.
The South County Senior Center will celebrate its 35th anniversary on May 15. What a terrific contribution to our community this organization has made. If you have never witnessed the energy and activities that are present in this building, you should stop by for a visit. Most senior centers are subsidized heavily by the city in which they are located. We are fortunate that our center is almost self-supporting. We do subsidize them a little, but far less than our neighboring cities. Happy birthday to the Senior Center!
While I’m on the subject of the waterfront, we will be into the festival season by the end of the month. The annual Edmonds Rotary Club Waterfront Festival will take place the last weekend in May on port property. Save the weekend for a good time.
And while I’m on the subject of Rotary Clubs, the Jazz Connection, an event put on by the Edmonds Daybreakers Rotary Club, will take place Saturday, May 24 at different venues all over downtown, culminating in the main event that night at the former Puget Sound Christian College. Tickets are available at Arista Wine Cellars (Fifth and Main, downtown) or checkout the website at www.jazzconnection.org.
Of course, Monday, May 26 brings us the annual Memorial Day event at the cemetery at 11 a.m. The flowers, flags, and scheduled events make this a wonderful reminder of those who have given their lives on our behalf. The focus this year is on the Navy. I hope to see you there.
I took my own advice and visited the beach at lunch time. It’s not an uncommon thing for me to do. But it was extremely enjoyable today. The sky has remained bright blue all day. The Olympics still have lots of snow on them. The wind was whipping up whitecaps on the Sound. It was refreshing and relaxing at the same time. I am thankful for the stolen moment!
Edmonds Mayor Gary Haakenson writes a monthly column for The Enterprise.
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