Letters

Mountlake Terrace

Golf course owners thankful for support

Having successfully completed a long-term lease agreement with the city of Mountlake Terrace, Hardy Golf, LLC would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved for their support and efforts.

Thank you to Mayor Jerry Smith, City Council, city manager John Caulfield and city staff for your support. A special thank-you to Scott Hugill for having a thick-skin. His professionalism has contributed to the successful working relationship between Hardy Golf, LLC and the city.

Thank you to the Mountlake Terrace and surrounding communities who have welcomed us with open arms.

Thank you to our “family,” Tom and Lana Maahs who have helped us tremendously, Mother Yoko and our guardian angels.

Thank you to our loyal customers – without you, there would be many long days. Our customers are our extended family. Thank you for making the day brighter.

And last, but not least, a very special “thank you” to the staff of Hardy Golf LLC who has worked tremendously hard during this first year —Larry, Jennie, Zach, Derek, Garry, John and Jason.

It goes without saying that there are many more colleagues (Dean) and friends we should thank that have helped us to this point. There is much more work to be done. We are working very hard to secure a successful venture while establishing a friendly neighborhood golf course, and hope that we are achieving just that. We look forward to the next five years.

TYRONE and CAROL HARDY

Owners, Hardy Golf, LLC

City’s process for Town Center lauded

In regards to the Town Center Plan the city of Mountlake Terrace is working on this year, I would like to offer a few comments.

As a business and landowner in the Town Center, we are very interested in the plans, process and eventual new codes being established by the City Council. We have attended the open meetings, the builder forum, and roundtables presented by the city and would like to compliment them on their ability to get the public involved. We have noticed that they make everyone feel welcome and listen intently to the ideas and opinions of all the people of the community, even us as business members.

The Town Center plan is such an incredible multi-faceted issue. I am encouraged that the city council and planning commission are tapping many resources and learning as much as possible about all the options to help in their decision-making process.

They are working toward the goal and vision of a livable, active and attractive downtown not only for the near future, but also for the long-term future of our children. Decisions being made today will determine how this city looks and feels 50 years from now.

Change always evokes a multitude of emotions and resistance to new ideas. Keeping a positive attitude, working together and keeping the best interests of all the citizens of this city and its future generations is the message I am getting from the council and the city manager. I want to thank them for their hard work in considering all the issues surrounding this Town Center Plan. Sound decisions don’t always please the most vocal in the crowd, but they end up being the best for the future of the entire community.

DARCY and BILL NIEDERMEYER

Owners, Distinctive Countertops

Mountlake Terrace

City engaged in more top-down governance

We don’t have a melting pot in Mountlake Terrace, we have bubbling, shattering diversity.

Oh, we have something close to a common goal – change our Town Center. And we have many ideas: seven stories. three stories or less, new city hall, no new city hall, improve what we have first, create community gathering places, support our youth, support our seniors, mixed use, small to medium businesses, high rise condos.

Question: Do we have a process to integrate ideas or will elected officials dictate their agenda?

For years we have accepted top-down governance with no hope of being heard, very appropriate in feudal times when over lords were informed while the uneducated slaved.

Today, the citizens of Mountlake Terrace are well educated, intelligent, creative and have been asked for their ideas. With others, I have walked the neighborhoods close to the town center with petitions to quantify the people’s desires. They are very clear that they want a change and at least 90 percent are very clear they do not want seven-story buildings, parking change or a new city hall without debate and vote. In fact, well over 1,000 have signed (it).

Citizens will see the degree to which citizens’ desires are included in the town center plans. Then we may ask: Will the neighbors of the Terrace need to use their intelligence, creativity and courage to demand a break from top down dictating?

SHARON RIEGIE MAYNARD

Mountlake Terrace

Recruiters

Support troops and right to not be one

I am dismayed by Kristian Sorvick’s hostile response to Mr Kutay’s efforts to help kids opt out of military recruiters’ calls.

Supporting the troops has nothing to do with wishing my son to stay out of the military; I don’t want my or anyone else’s children, to be forced to risk themselves in ventures that only serve the interests of our leaders and have little or no effect on our safety here.

Children have very impressionable minds and can easily be persuaded to sign on some dotted line that then commits their lives to the command of any misdirected ruler without recourse. This is a situation that has no parallel in any other job-recruitment effort and personally, I am not willing to allow my children to be placed in such a position by canny recruiters. If my children should walk in to a military recruitment office when they are mature enough to decide for themselves, then I might not be happy but I will not be outraged.

Sorvick should not distract us by throwing “freedom” and other catch-terms in a discussion that has nothing to do with any of them. Sorvick may not try to question Kutay’s loyalty or mine; how we decide to serve our country is none of his business.

JAFAR SIDDIQUI

Lynnwood