Letter to the Editor: I want to invest in my community

To the editor,

I sometimes feel grouchy about our city’s decisions. When the last pool closed, I was upset that it couldn’t be saved (and a little doubtful that was really true.) I am also keenly aware that Shoreline residents already pay a lot of taxes (I’m also thankful for that: I am a teacher).

Yet I am also, more than ever, grateful for my small local government working to help our community. As a second grade teacher I have also been teaching my class about communities. We sing a song about taxes and government. “Taxes pay for the government, for school and parks, pools and libraries.” It feels like a gift to talk with students about these ideas. When we have talked about pools, I always have a couple kids pipe up “I have a pool” or “I go to Innis Arden” and then we talk about how not everyone does, or can.

Pools are so beneficial to communities. Swimming lessons are a safety necessity for our community; water exercises for seniors are vital. We have neighboring public pools but who knows when Seattle (or other communities) will need to close those. We need our own.

This project is expensive. Regretfully, I think I might have voted against the last one. I think I thought it was too big and fancy. But I am definitely voting for this project. This project is scaled down. It won’t get any cheaper. I want to invest in my community and contribute to a project that will benefit future kids and families.

I hope you will join me in voting yes,

Mary Anne Thomas
Shoreline

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Letter to the Editor: Why I am voting Yes on LFP Prop 1

To the Editor:

The city of Lake Forest Park is facing severe budget challenges. Our draft budget for 2027-2028 has a $4.5 million deficit. Much of that is structural. The costs of providing these services are drastically outpacing the 1% annual increase in property tax that the city is allowed to take. Much of this increase comes from public safety costs in addition to the police department, including 911 dispatch, jail, prosecutor, public defender, and crisis response services.

I’m proud of our police department and I’m confident that many of you feel the same way. They have maintained a focus on community-policing and our response times are significantly better than in other communities.

But I really want to focus on RCR, the Regional Crisis Response agency. RCR was founded in 2023 as a collaboration between LFP, Bothell, Kenmore, Kirkland, and Shoreline. The RCR team consists of trained mental health professionals who can respond to emergency calls alongside police or on their own. They provide critical responses to residents in crisis, including situations where the presence of police officers may inadvertently cause an escalation. These crisis responders are a core part of our region’s emergency response alongside Police, Fire, Ambulance, and the Connections Crisis Response Center. In 2025, RCR served approximately 300 encounters in Lake Forest Park. Prop 1 will ensure that the city can continue to access this valuable resource.

For an average Lake Forest Park home ($963,000), the levy will cost less than $18 per month. Low-income seniors and disabled veterans will be exempt from this levy. This is a reasonable amount to pay to ensure that the city can continue to afford all aspects of public safety, including police, crisis response and everything in between. Please vote YES on Prop 1!

Larry Goldman

Lake Forest Park

Larry Goldman serves as a member of the Lake Forest Park City Council and is writing as an individual.

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Letter to the Editor: Two harmful initiatives on the ballot (I-638 and I-001) will hurt Washington children and families

To the Editor:

Election day is almost here, and there are two harmful initiatives on the ballot (I-638 and I-001) that will hurt Washington children and families. As a mom and as a licensed therapist supporting families in Washington state, this is personal.

I-638 discriminates against girls by requiring medical “certification” of sex for those who want to play sports. Thousands of girls each year would need to undergo invasive, unnecessary, and potentially harmful genital exams, just to play sports with their friends. Ultimately, many would miss out on the physical and mental health benefits of playing sports and being on a team.

More than 100+ WA doctors agree: from a medical, safety, and developmental perspective, I-638 is unnecessary, not backed by clinical guidelines, and would create unwarranted stress and harm for young girls.

I-001 would remove common-sense school record protections for children. This dangerous initiative would allow parents to access sensitive information their child may have disclosed at school. This brings a tremendous amount of risk for children suffering abuse at home.

We all want to keep kids safe, and most parents know their kids will come to them for help. But many kids live in unsafe homes, especially LGBTQIA+ kids who know going to their primary caregiver may mean imminent danger. I-001 will worsen the teen mental health crisis and discourage students facing domestic violence, sexual abuse, or bullying from seeking help from trusted adults at school.

Our children need access to safe and supportive spaces in our community, including sports teams and their school counselors’ office. According to the Trevor Project, LGBTQIA+ youth say one of the top ways people can show their support and acceptance is by standing up for them, and not supporting harmful legislation. As a mom, I urge you to vote NO on I-638 and I-001.

Melissa Filion

Mom & Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Shoreline, WA

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Letter to the Editor: Snohomish League of Women Voters recommends a "no" vote on proposed Snohomish county charter amendments

To the Editor:

Five proposed amendments to Snohomish County’s Charter, which is our county constitution, are on the November 3 ballot. The League of Women Voters of Snohomish County urges voters to cast a “no” vote on each proposition.

Why? We believe the Snohomish County Charter Review Commission, the body of elected citizens that reviewed the Charter, failed to fulfill one of its stated tasks: “to provide a forum for public input.”

League members attended meetings of the commission throughout its time in session. We saw the commissioners determine which proposals would appear on the ballot before formal public comment, and there was no independent path for the public to submit proposals for consideration.

Official public hearings came about at the last minute. The commission website has no written records of public comments or testimony and no posted minutes of the last meeting.

In addition, our League is extremely concerned about Propositions 2 and 5 because their antidemocratic requirements give veto power to a minority of council members. Currently, financial proposals require three of five council votes to pass. Propositions 2 and 5 would raise that to four of five, meaning any two members could block action.

Our recommendation to vote “no” on all five proposed amendments to the Snohomish County Charter rests on our long history of advocating for local government to provide adequate public notice of actions, hold open meetings and make public records easily accessible.

Brenda Mann Harrison
President, League of Women Voters of Snohomish County
Snohomish, WA

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Letter to the Editor: Ballot initiatives I-001 and I-638 are not good for our children

To the Editor:

I was deeply relieved to read that our city council passed a resolution opposing two harmful ballot initiatives, I-001 and I-638. It speaks volumes that the resolution passed unanimously — it’s clear to many Washingtonians that these measures are not good for our children.

As a physician, I’m outraged by I-638. This initiative targets trans girls, but will impact all girls. I-638 would require all girls who want to participate in school sports to medically verify their sex, defined as a physical “reproductive organ exam,” or costly genetic or hormone testing. This means many elementary, middle, and high school-aged girls could be forced to undergo invasive genital exams, just so they can play on a team.

I’m one among a hundred Washington medical professionals who’ve issued a statement opposing I-638 because it would be harmful for young girls. Major medical organizations, including the AAFP and the AAP, do not recommend genital exams for girls as a part of sports physicals.

Initiative 001 would force schools to hand over sensitive information about child abuse victims to their parental abusers. This put children at a greater risk of violence at home, and discourages students dealing with sexual abuse from seeking help at school. As a survivor of child sexual abuse, I would not have felt safe speaking to school counselors if I-001 was in place when I was young. Our students deserve safe spaces to get support.

These two initiatives will cause harm, are based in harmful far-right ideology, and do not have a place in WA state law. Voters can join me and Shoreline City Council by rejecting both measures this November.

Caitlin Blau, DO, 

Shoreline

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Letter to the Editor: Curmudgeon is tired of paying bank processing fees

To the Editor:

This month’s edition of curmudgeon news is about bank fees / convenience fees / and or processing fees. Whatever you call it, it’s a money-grubbing duck. If you use the Spartan rec center, or have a kid in a Shoreline school and they do anything, other than take the bus home, there’s a price for that and then there’s also a fee.

The first time I went through this was when I had three kids in a sport, (this wasn’t at Spartan Rec) and the convenience fee was quite high. This fee was just to click a button, as I’m paying money. When I asked about it, I was told that if I mailed a check, (stamp, mail-carrier, and a receiver who then deposits that check) that’s free. A computer program, living in the nether, needs a fee for eternity.

So modern technology has made life easier but somehow more expensive. This goes on and on every time I have to put money on a school lunch account, buy an ABS card (that’s a school fee, before the bank fee, for a kid to play a game not involving a video screen). Oh, and that ABS fee has a bank fee but it does come with discounts. Wait, so I’m saving money?

When I’m flippantly told, ‘it’s the bank”, my response is always, “can’t the city of Shoreline or the school district find another bank? Maybe use a local credit union, looking for business, instead?” To this I’m always told to take it up the chain. So here I am typing away from the bottom of that chain.

From an equity standpoint, and from hating the various banks of Monty Burns standpoint, could our beloved school and city officials, with whom we lovingly vote for, please address this situation? (It is election time you know.)

Nobody likes being nickel and dimed at every single turn. It gets harder and harder for young parents to support a child. Not me, I’m old. I remember, back in the day, when all this stuff was basically free.

In a nutshell, if we dislike how banks hold us over a barrel in this way, shouldn’t we try to change it?

Mike Bachety
Shoreline

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Letter to the Editor: "I love LFP"

To the Editor:

I LOVE LFP!* Last week...a shop at Safeway at the town centre....bending over to put my groceries on the conveyor belt...the chain of a loved necklace...a hammered gold cross...caught on the cart and broke. The cross seemingly disappearing into thin air. Customers behind me with the lights on their phones searching to no avail. Dear Dawn...the checker who has been there for so long and looks the same as day 1....always friendly and happy sharing my disappointment.

Yesterday....I stopped there for another shop...ready to leave and saw Dawn...as an afterthought..."Did anyone ever turn in the gold cross?" She looked a little puzzled at first and then the visible light bulb in her eyes...raised her arms in the air and said... "YES!*" She went to fetch it from customer service spot...telling me someone turned it in about 45 minutes after I left that day. I hugged her.

Whoever that person was...I am so grateful but much more than that....restored my faith in humankind at this extremely difficult time in our country and world.

Judith Muilenburg
Lake Forest Park

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Letter to the Editor: Proposed tree code will not support the maintenance of the existing tree canopy

To the Editor:

Save Shoreline Trees recognizes the effort on the tree code update, led by City staff with input by the Community Advisory Group (CAG) and the public.

The proposed draft tree code relies on the Tree Density Credit Method (TDCM) for retention of trees on all zones. The TDCM is based on the square footage (SF) of a lot divided by 1,000 and multiplied by the assigned zone multiplier. This calculation determines the Required Tree Credits for each lot.

See the Engage Tree Code Update page for information.

It is incorrect to refer to the TDCM as a “tree retention method”. Upon close evaluation, the TDCM requires less tree retention on the seven primary development zones, 20% of land where development will take place, while residential zones, about 80% of land, will be allowed to cut down many of their trees. As stated in staff presentations, the tree code cannot “treat homeowners and developers differently”.

How will this draft tree code maintain and increase the existing tree canopy? The City’s goal is to increase the tree canopy, currently 37%, to 40% by 2050. Maintenance of the tree canopy is not possible with minimal tree retention.

On March 7, 2026 Kevin Hickenbottom, Shoreline’s Urban Forester, informed Council that to increase the tree canopy to 40%, 12,000 trees would have to be planted. It is doubtful that the proposed tree code will support the maintenance of the existing tree canopy or the increase of the tree canopy to 40% by 2050.

The Planning Commission will review the proposed tree code on Thursday, July 16 at 7 p.m. at City Hall. Shoreline residents have the opportunity to protect our tree canopy by asking for adjustments to the proposed tree code to retain more trees.

Kathleen Russell, Susanne Tsoming
Save Shoreline Trees Co-chairs

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Letter to the Editor: Praise for Irons Brothers Construction

To the Editor:

After reading the SAN May 22nd article about the Rampathon featuring Irons Bros Construction in Shoreline, I thought about the multiple renovations Joseph Irons Construction did to my home since early in his career. 

My home was not in disrepair - it was just older (1955). I found him through the Master Builders Association. Initially he and a crew member completed a difficult railing up the steep hill in my backyard that other contractors still won’t bid. Then, in no particular order, he and his team completely redid the pink kitchen from the ground up, updated the tired, turquoise blue bathroom by replacing the old bathtub with a roomy step-in shower, two sinks instead of one, and a new counter. 

He creatively worked around a large window that let in natural light. Another contractor I contacted would not even consider that idea. He replaced the hollow core doors throughout the house with beautiful solid wood doors, replaced single pane sliding glass doors with new lighter multi-paned glass. 

My large storage shed was redesigned twice as my needs changed over the years, the front porch enlarged from a small 2-step entry to a large porch with room for seating. He added a wide concrete sidewalk around the house, added a dutch door to add light to a side door and more. Pictures I provided as examples he improved upon.

As the years passed he started including "aging in place" changes that I didn’t appreciate then but do now. He never pushed. He and his wife Melissa, and his friendly professional crew were a gift that I thank every day.

His focus has changed over the years but his work ethic has not.

Pam Cross

Shoreline

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Letter to the Editor: Remind the City Council that they represent all citizens

To the Editor:

I moved to Shoreline in 1980 when I was young, so I walked, bicycled and used public transit. But I grew older, and as you get older you can no longer walk as far and bicycling becomes difficult or impossible. Transit has changed to focus on access to light rail. And scooters? Haha.

Plans for the City include more biking, more walking and less driving. However, this is practical only for younger people. There are a lot of people that live beyond that mobility age and those people also need the means to go to the store to buy food or pick up prescriptions. It is unrealistic to think that people can continue to only walk or bike or use public transit all of their lives.

If you want to go to a local grocery store to buy a few things you will need a vehicle because you need a means to bring everything home. It is difficult to carry several items home if you are a senior and walk to the store.

If you need to buy groceries for a week, it is important that you’re able to go to the store and buy those things and get them home. You may not be able to do this if you have to balance them on a bicycle or carry them when you walk all of the way home.

If you have to buy just a few things for yourself, or you and your partner, then you may be able to do it. But if the family is more than you and your partner, you have to have the ability to carry several things home - including milk, soda, laundry detergent and other heavy items.

I believe that our city is so focused on getting people off of the roads that we have forgotten that people need to have access to things even if they are unable to use a bicycle or walk and carry heavy things. Even some younger people can’t or don’t wish to carry 30 or 50 pounds from the store to their home. At least there are now delivery options.

By the way, it does occasionally rain here.

I’m not against walking. I still walk daily but cannot carry groceries home.

We have to remember that there are many ages in Shoreline. It’s also important that people remember that laws and other changes to what we can do, whether you call it zoning or priorities, need to support everybody - not just a few young people or the disabled.

If this is not what you want, then fine, just tell people that this is a city only for people who are young. We are supporting only people who are riding bikes or walking, and if you are too old to do either of those things, then move somewhere else.

The City needs to continue to support people who are older so that they can continue to live a real life in the City of Shoreline.

We need to remind the Shoreline Council members that they represent all citizens.

Pam Cross

Shoreline

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Letter to the Editor: A great way to build community

To the Editor:

This lovely sunny Saturday morning I went to our Shoreline Park (1st NE & 192nd St) about 6:15 AM for a walk with my dog. I met Peggy who was walking the park and picking up clothes left on the soccer fields and garbage. 

I jokingly asked if she was the "park steward". She said this is her daily early morning routine. Some folks have probably met her. So, as I walked on my way with my dog, do you think I could not pick up the glaring white paper towels left on the side of the walk? NO! 

Peggy made me more aware of what's possible and easy enough to do. Without knowing it or planning it, she is a great community builder! She inspires others to notice what can be improved with little effort - or more effort if you are physically able to. 

So as our weather improves, I wish you all great walks and runs and hope you will pick up some garbage as you go and meet Peggy and other wonderful Shoreline neighbors!

Marti Davis
Shoreline

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Letter to the Editor: Nothing but praise

To the Editor:

Hello, Diane and Carl. I will take a moment to comment on how much I love and rely on the Shoreline Area News. We are paper-paper subscribers to Seattle Times and Cascadia Daily News and email subscribers to SAN. Needless to say, we are older and totally appreciate the value and importance of local news (and try to fight the fast decline of news agencies)!!

You all do such a great job, and we appreciate your work and dedication SO much. Hopefully you get an email like this every day to keep you going. I love Lee Lageschulte's photos of the sound or other beautiful landscapes, Travels with Charlie, Jan Hansen's photos of boats and ships on the Sound - with info about who/what they are, Whitney Potter's great art and cartoons and ALL the reporters and photographers!!

I learn every time I read the news. The community connections that SAN brings to Shoreline are invaluable. We are an all-inclusive, diversified city that is reflected so well in the variety of articles and notices. SAN helps Shoreline set those values and make them normal. Please don't get tired of doing this and keep it going!!

Marti and Jay Davis
Shoreline, WA

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Letter to the Editor: Income tax bill threatens Seattle's corporate sector

To the Editor:

If you work in Seattle's corporate offices, the State Legislature is putting your livelihood at risk.

Washington's ESSB 6346 is being sold as a "Millionaire's Tax," but the Legislature's own actions belie the title. Corporate workers and middle-class families should beware.

Consider what lawmakers did when given the chance to put their promises in writing. During Senate floor debate, Republicans offered an amendment that would have bound Democrats to their claims: 1. The income tax applies only to incomes over $1 million for married couples; 2. The rate cannot exceed 9.9%. Senate Democrats rejected it. There is no honest reason to vote down that amendment unless the intent is to expand the tax to lower earners later. Rep. Larry Springer (D-Kirkland), a supporter of the bill, made that intent plain at a recent public forum. When asked whether voters should trust that this won't eventually become an income tax on everyone, he answered candidly: "You shouldn't."

If tax fairness were truly the goal, the obvious move would be to reduce our notoriously regressive sales tax. Come April 1, residents of Lynnwood and Edmonds will face a combined sales tax rate of 10.7% — possibly the highest in the nation. That burden falls hardest on working families, not millionaires. Democrats talk big on sales tax regressiveness but never lower it.

The bill also carries an emergency clause. There is no revenue emergency. State revenues have grown faster than inflation and population combined for nearly a decade. This clause exists for one reason: legislation with an emergency clause cannot be challenged by voter referendum. In 2024, the Legislature passed Initiative 2111 banning income taxes — not because they believed in it, but because they feared voter backlash. Two years later, they're cutting voters out entirely.

There is also a serious constitutional problem. Washington's Supreme Court has held that all taxes must be applied uniformly. A graduated income tax like this is constitutionally vulnerable. When lawsuits reach the State Supreme Court, justices will face a choice: strike the tax down, or rule it can stand only if applied at a flat rate to everyone. The "Millionaire's Tax" would then unmask itself as a broad-based income tax on all wage earners. Don't expect an independent judiciary to intervene — four of the nine justices are retiring before this fall, with replacements handpicked by Gov. Ferguson.

For corporate workers who feel insulated from a tax on millionaires, think again. C-suite executives making location decisions at Amazon, T-Mobile, Starbucks, etc. often earn above the threshold, and they are acting accordingly. They won't invest in a state that has tumbled from 6th to 45th in business friendliness over the past decade. T-Mobile has already begun divesting from Bellevue. Starbucks has one foot out of SoDo. Amazon has locations all over the country. Our future? Accelerating layoffs while other states grow.

There is a right way to pursue a more progressive tax structure: go to voters with a constitutional amendment, and offset new revenue with real reductions to the sales and B&O taxes. Instead, legislators are exploiting public distraction with federal politics to push through a measure most Washingtonians would reject if asked directly.

If you don't want to be contemplating a forced move to Austin in five years because that's where your job went, email Reps. Cindy Ryu and Lauren Davis and urge them to vote no.

Dan Adams

Shoreline, WA

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Shoreline School Superintendent thanks the community for passing the school levies

Susana Reyes

Susana Reyes is the Superintendent of Schools for the Shoreline School District

Dear Shoreline and Lake Forest Park Voters,

On behalf of the Shoreline School District, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to our community for your support of both the Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) Levy and the Capital Levy for Technology (Tech Levy) in yesterday’s special election. 

Both proposed levies are currently passing with over 70% of votes in the report of the first day’s results, with final certification of election results expected by February 20.

Your vote reflects our community’s strong commitment to ensuring students have access to high-quality learning experiences and the tools they need to thrive in today’s world.

The EP&O levy will sustain the day-to-day programs and services that support student learning and well-being and are not fully funded by the state. This includes staffing to maintain reasonable class sizes; teacher professional development; inclusive learning supports; our multilingual learner program; school-based student support staff; transportation; athletics and performance teams; performing arts; and a wide range of other extracurricular activities that enrich the student experience.

The Tech Levy will ensure that students and staff have access to reliable devices, up-to-date classroom curriculum and technology, secure networks, staff training, and the digital infrastructure necessary to support teaching, learning, and communication across our district.

We recognize the trust you place in us with every vote and every tax dollar. We remain committed to being responsible stewards of these resources and transparent about how your investment directly benefits our students.

Because of your support, we can continue delivering strong academic programs and maintaining the technology systems that keep our schools connected, innovative, and prepared for the future.

With appreciation,
Dr. Susana Reyes

Superintendent
Shoreline School District

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Letter to the Editor: Pass HB 1152 for secure storage for firearms

To the Editor:

Please ask our state representatives to pass HB 1152: Secure storage requirements for firearms in vehicles and residences. Responsible gun ownership is more than simply knowing how to use a weapon, it is also about understanding and practicing safe storage of firearms to prevent theft and/or access by children. 

Storing firearms locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition is associated with a 78% lower risk of self-inflicted injuries and 85% lower risk of unintentional injury among children. Most such tragedies could have been avoided by observing proper storage protocols. 

Our state representatives are now considering a bill requiring safe storage: HB 1152, which establishes secure storage requirements for firearms left in homes and vehicles and penalties for violations of these requirements. Please contact our state representatives TODAY and urge them to pass HB 1152.

Paula Simpson Barnes

Shoreline

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Letter to the Editor: Extreme to claim that a single drink would doom an average person into a DUI

The blood alcohol limit for drunk driving in Washington would drop to 0.05% from 0.08%, under a bill the state Senate approved on a 26-23 vote Wednesday. If the bill clears the House and the governor signs it, Washington would join Utah with the nation's strictest DUI standard. --Washington State Standard

To the Editor:

In regards to the recent opinion letter, "Lowering the blood alcohol content punishes the wrong people," I world strongly urge people not to be fooled by exaggeration. Declaring that lowering the blood alcohol limit to 0.05 from 0.08 will "punish the wrong people" is hyperbolic at best and a falsehood at worst.

The claim that a single drink might cause "life-altering consequences" seemed a bit extreme of an assertion to me, so I spent a little time (about 15 minutes) hunting down some additional information on the topic. Granted, in this day and age, it's strangely both easier and more difficult to do research for yourself, due to both the ease of informational access and the preponderance of misinformation. However, with more careful searching of information in credited articles (and avoiding overly brief AI summarizations), I found multiple charts across institutions in law, science, and academics that all supported a table that said that most likely, the only person whose blood alcohol content would spike to 0.05 within one drink would be only about 100 pounds!

I will mention that there is the repeated assertion in all these sources that the table is not one-size-fits-all, that factors like age and speed of metabolism can affect an individual's blood alcohol levels, but it still seems an extreme - and largely incorrect - claim that a single drink would doom the average person into a DUI.

Additionally, a claim that this might damage the hospitality industry as a whole is drastically oversimplifying the issue, especially in light of modern trends leaning away from drinking alcohol. Mocktails and non-alcoholic beers and wines are becoming common - and having a glass of water isn't going to kill one's enjoyment of a meal! The only situation I can think of that's directly impacted by a reduction in drinking alcohol is a place that relies on sales of it, such as a bar - in which case, people should already be practicing safer methods such as a designated driver, or taking one of the increasingly common and reliable methods of mass transit.

Another thing I found in my brief investigation of this matter was a good deal of accompanying studies about how changing the limit of blood alcohol from 0.08 to 0.05 has proven to save lives. If we can go on and on about how critical the speed limit on Ballinger and the traffic cameras along 178th Street are, if there's that level of concern about our neighborhoods, why not other streets, and highways? Why restrict our concern for others to the area outside our front doors? It seems the height of privilege to me to grandly claim that businesses will be negatively affected in some vague fashion - and ignore entirely the human cost of those impacted by anyone driving impaired.

I will add that I'm not a paid proponent of this measure, just a concerned citizen. And whatever side folks choose in this, I ask only that they do the research (brief as it is!) and decide for themselves... and, of course, to always drink responsibly.

Annie VanderMeer
Seattle

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Letter to the Editor: Lowering the alcohol limit for drivers punishes the wrong people

To the Editor,

As the Washington House of Representatives considers SB 5067—the bill to lower the legal BAC limit from .08 to .05—we must ask: does this actually make our roads safer, or does it simply punish the wrong people?

Lowering the limit to .05 creates a “First Drink Trap.” For many, a single craft beer or glass of wine with dinner could lead to a DUI. This results in life-altering consequences—up to $10,000 in legal fees and potential job loss—for neighbors who are not actually impaired.

Furthermore, this policy misallocates our limited law enforcement resources. We should be supporting our officers by keeping them focused on the high-BAC, repeat offenders who cause the vast majority of alcohol-related fatalities. Forcing police to spend hours on paperwork for “borderline” .05 cases diverts them from the real threats on our highways.

Finally, our local hospitality industry is still recovering from years of economic hardship. Discouraging responsible adults from enjoying a single drink with a meal will inevitably lead to more local business closures and job losses.

I urge our District Representatives to vote NO on SB 5067. Let’s focus on stricter enforcement for dangerous drivers, rather than penalizing responsible citizens.

L Gardner
Shoreline

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Letter to the Editor: Are we choosing dignity, compassion, and humanity?

To the Editor:

Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity regardless of status, legal or otherwise. What we are witnessing with current ICE tactics is troubling. It feels like echoes of a dark chapter in history. Racial profiling, fear, and intimidation. These have no place in a nation that claims to value human rights, due process, and freedom.

I am an American citizen. My family immigrated to the United States legally. My children were born here and are American citizens. My husband proudly served this country during Operation Iraqi Freedom. For years, we displayed the American flag on our porch with pride.

We are brown. We are Asians, that is our ethnicity. We have always proudly called ourselves Americans.

We took down our American flag. What is happening in our nation does not reflect the values we once felt proud of as Americans. The moral foundation that my husband believed in when joined the military when he turned 18.

I am afraid to simply walk in my own neighborhood, not because I’ve done anything wrong, but because I don’t look white. My five-year-old has cried because he is afraid he will be taken by ICE.

I never imagined feeling afraid to even “like” or share something on my own social media accounts. I worry about how criticism or dissent may be perceived, and whether speaking up could somehow put me or my family on a list or make us a target. I find myself questioning whether expressing concern could affect our ability to travel, to be able to get back to our home, or to live without fear of retaliation.

How is this acceptable? How did we get to a point where fear like this is normalized?

To my Shoreline community: we may have political differences, and that is okay. My husband and I have voted on both sides of the aisle. We consider ourselves independent because values and conscience, not party, guide how we live and vote.

This is not about politics.
This is about our shared humanity.

I ask you, my neighbors, to pause and reflect: if this fear were your child’s, your spouse’s, or your family’s - would this feel acceptable?

If families who have followed the rules, served and loved this country, can start to feel unsafe, what does that say about who we are becoming? Are we choosing dignity, compassion, and humanity?

Name withheld

Shoreline Resident

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Letter to the Editor: Is the City indifferent to resident and visitor safety?

To the Editor:

We asked for a crossing light on 15th Avenue NE and were ignored until a second child, Tia Townsend, was run over in 2005. Is this another instance of the City's indifference to resident and visitor safety?

The two blocks of 148th street between 8th Avenue and 5th Avenue have no walkable route. On work days, commuters park along the street which already has the narrowest right-of-way I know of in the city. 

Pedestrians, including children, airport-bound residents and visitors hauling luggage, all take their lives in their hands as trucks, SUVs, and other vehicles force them to flatten themselves against parked vehicles.

The street is lit incidentally by glare from the light rail station. This makes pedestrians nearly invisible, especially during rain events.

Pedestrian and vehicle traffic has increased many-fold since the opening of the station and it's more frenetic with concurrent traffic revisions at the 145th Street/5th Avenue intersection.

The right of way must be widened.
Parking must be disallowed.
An unobstructed pedestrian route must be established
Lighting must be upgraded.

The council and planning department have treated our neighborhood as a sacrifice zone for the 27 years that I've lived here. Now our lives are at risk every time we venture to use light rail.

The hour is late. Make a short term fix immediately while permanent improvements are considered.
Do this before someone gets killed. Please

Jeffrey M. Eisenbrey
Shoreline

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Letter to the Community from LFP City Council Candidate Reid Olsen

Tracy Furutani and Reid Olsen

Dear Neighbors,

I want to congratulate Tracy Furutani on his decisive victory in the race for Lake Forest Park Council Position 5. Over the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Tracy better, and it quickly became clear why so many in our community hold him in such high regard. He is not only thoughtful, dedicated, and deeply committed to the wellbeing of Lake Forest Park, but he’s also simply a great person. 

I’m grateful that Tracy will continue to serve on our City Council. We share many of the same priorities, including addressing the local impacts of climate change. I fully support his efforts to establish a climate action manager to help our city prepare for flooding, wildfire smoke, and other environmental challenges that affect us all.

This first run for public office has been an immensely meaningful and rewarding experience. I’m thankful to everyone who encouraged me, attended events, and shared their hopes for our city. I’m especially grateful to Tracy for his kindness and good will throughout the campaign. He reminded me that public service is, at its heart, about connection and community.

To all the candidates who stepped forward this year, congratulations on campaigns run with integrity and respect. To the Lake Forest Park community, thank you for your support, your conversations, and your belief in what’s possible here. See you around town—and perhaps, one day, on another ballot.

Sincerely, 

Reid Olsen

 

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