Letters to the Editor

Election ‘07

Peterson concerned about whole city

How about what I can do for the community rather than what the community can de for me? Sound familiar — a smaller scale than the taking on national ills, but a beginning none the less. Improve locally and the nation will follow. Edmonds is the second largest city in the county. And, while other cities may grow beyond our numbers, we will still have the problems associated with a city of 40,000 — crime, city budget issues, environmental changes, our diverse neighborhoods, Highway 99 issues, and the necessity to face the problems and the opportunities of the 21st century.

Can the current City Council step up and sort the petty from the pertinent? Has the current City Council shown proactive leadership to the community rather than reacting to the self-interests of some of our residents? Is anybody interested enough to vote when nothing new seems to happen? There are some good and well meaning council members and there are some mean spirited and pandering members.

To have Strom Peterson decide to run for council gives Edmonds an opportunity to step forward rather than stand back once again. Strom and his wife, Maria, have chosen to live and work in Edmonds. They have pledged their future to the future of Edmonds. If you haven’t met Strom, drop in to his store on Main Street — the Resident Cheesemonger. Strom represents a positive step forward for Edmonds. He wants to do something for the community. Give him the chance.

Jack Loos

Edmonds

National politics

McCain singing the wrong tune

Republican presidential hopeful John McCain’s recent musical ditty about the joys of bombing Iran was met with laughter in Murrells Inlet, S.C. McCain’s amusing melody about bombing Iran is based on the Beach Boy’s classic “Barbara Ann.”

That a man aspiring to be president or the United States could joke about murdering tens of thousands of innocent Iranians is both disturbing and inexplicable. Of greater concern is that McCain’s impromptu campaign ditty about a murderous bombing raid on Iran wasn’t met with universal U.S. condemnation. The Associated Press exonerated the apparently dangerously disturbed McCain by citing his “quirky humor.”

U.S. citizens should pause and ask just one question. How would we feel if Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khameni broke into tuneful merriment and altered the Rolling Stones classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and injected the word “but if you try sometime you just might find — that you can take out New York.” Would the Associated Press be applauding the Ayatollahs “quirky” sense of humor and would Americans be laughing?

John McCain’s obscene attempt at humor demonstrated that the demonization of Iran is now almost complete. I have yet to read of one White House aspirant ever referring to “Operation Ajax” — the August 1953 CIA coup that overthrew Iran’s democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Massadeq. This CIA coup ushered in two decades of terror, horror and death for thousands of Iranian. This carnage was courtesy of the Shah — our hand picked puppet dictator. Perhaps John McCain can surprise us and adopt another rock and roll classic to outline our role in the August 1953 Iranian tragedy? I can’t imagine which tune the ever-creative McCain would choose to alter, but it’s a safe bet that “Stairway to Heaven” won’t be one of them.

Jim Sawyer

Edmonds

Pet ordinance

Edmonds Crossing massive and costly

Residents of the Point Edwards condominiums should be concerned about the 7/8 holding lanes/access road that will be dug into the hillside below them as part of the Edmonds Crossing project. No sketches of the details have been provided by the Edmonds City Council; however, reports do contain data about the massive nature of the freeway.

From 23’ or 26’ or 29’ (the figures vary) above the RR tracks, it will slope east across the bluff at a 3% grade. Because the 89’-wide road must traverse a landslide hazard ranked high, much of the hillside will be removed and then rebuilt. Current estimates involve the removal of 54,000 cubic yards of soil to be replaced by 80,000 cubic yards of fill. The 30’ cuts would be bolstered by various types of retaining structures. Residents are assured that nine gravel pits have been located within a radius of 50 miles to provide 1,000,000 cu. yds. of gravel if needed.

A few maps of the Edmonds Crossing project would be helpful. One could be a map of the area from the RR tracks to the water that would include the locations of the: Unocal pier, Marina Beach parking lot, play area and the Port/Park bridge. The dimensions of the access road plus the overhead loading shed could then be drawn over that sketch.

A second side-view diagram of the freeway as it would cross east from the RR tracks along the hillside at a 3% grade would also be useful. Both diagrams should be large, to-scale and prominently displayed in Marina Beach Park.

Only the residents of Snohomish County will pay for the pricey, massive Edmonds Crossing Project; they should understand exactly what they’re getting before they vote. “Trust me” isn’t good enough. It’s time to show us.

Natalie Shippen

Edmonds

Pet ordinance

Cat owners should share opinions

Do you think your cat will enjoy going for walks on a leash or being outside on a leash? Do you have a fence that will contain your cat in your yard? Will your cat be happy being confined in your residence? If not, then please plan on attending the May 15 Public Hearing at the Public Safety Complex during the City Council meeting at 7 p.m. The Edmonds City Council, in response to a few vocal anti-cat people, is proposing removing the exemption for cats from the ordinance that prohibits pet and animal owners from allowing their animals to run at large. I am sure there are a large number of cat owners who are not even aware of this proposed change. What work will Animal Control be unable to do when they start chasing cats? What happens to all of the cats that Animal Control will trap once this ordinance passes? Will they be killed, if not returned to their rightful owners, after paying a hefty fine, or adopted? At least one population will be happy when all of the cats are trapped indoors — the rodent population. I wonder what the city plans are to control the resulting increase in rodents from their action? This is our city council at work, working on the important city issues.

Maryellen Young

Edmonds