YOUR|LETTERS - March 2, 2011
Published on Mon, Feb 28, 2011Read More Letters to the Editor
Disc golf raises $400 for local food bank
Dear Editor,
On February 12, the Lake Stevens Disc Golf community hosted the seventh annual “Freeze In The Trees” disc golf tournament.
The tournament raised $400 in donations for the Lake Stevens Food Bank.
In addition to the large group of local players, there were people from Bellingham to Tacoma that came to support this event.
The disc golf club would like to thank the Lake Stevens Parks Dept. for the use of this course.
We would also like to thank Creekside Steak and Ale House, Midori Teriyaki, Tall Guy Small Guy Automotive and a number of local players that generously donated to this event.
Brian Anderson
Lake Stevens
Family Center and Library make evening a success
Dear Editor,
A very sincere thank you to our friends and partners at the Lake Stevens Family Center and Lake Stevens Library who unconditionally supported our annual English Language Learners (ELL) Family Night.
After an evening of delicious Russian, Ethiopian, Italian, American, and Mexican dishes, Sunnycrest families were informed of the many valuable community resources available within the school and greater community.
We are extremely grateful for the support of this great community and look forward to continuing to build meaningful community partnerships in the future.
Tim Haines, Principal
Laurie Schrieber, ELL Coordinator
Barbara Vache, ELL Instructor
HOT lanes on I-405 are a bad idea
Dear Editor,
Here we go again. The Legislature down in Olympia is considering HB 1382 and SB 5490, both of which would create high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes along Interstate 405 between Lynnwood and Bellevue through the conversion of the existing HOV lane, in the hopes that HOT lanes would reduce traffic congestion.
However, do not be fooled.
One of the prime supporters of the bill has even come out to say that the 405 HOT lanes would become a cash cow for the state, and that reducing congestion is not really the intent of this bill.
Am I the only one who has an issue with this statement?
To add fuel to the fire, what the Legislature and the DOT appear not to be fully disclosing is that they intend to change the designation so that carpoolers would have to pay a toll to use these lanes, the very vehicles that are helping reduce some of the congestion in the first place.
If the Legislature and the DOT truly care about reducing traffic congestion, they need to focus on reducing the number of vehicles driving on 405, not rewarding single-occupant vehicles to “pay their way” into this toll lane and giving the middle finger to carpoolers.
The money they intend to spend on this mega-project would be much better spent on investing on such things as utilizing the BNSF rail that parallels much of 405 for a commuter rail line between Everett/Snohomish and Renton, expanding and improving access to bus service, as well as providing employers the tools to offer incentives to employees to carpool, vanpool, bus, or telecommute.
The 405 HOT lane idea is nothing more than a flavor of the month, in my opinion.
It is a band-aid approach to solving traffic congestion. We need more innovative solutions pursued or better representation down in Olympia. HOT lanes on 405 are a bad idea and a big waste of money.
Will Brandt
Lake Stevens
Dear Editor,
On February 12, the Lake Stevens Disc Golf community hosted the seventh annual “Freeze In The Trees” disc golf tournament.
The tournament raised $400 in donations for the Lake Stevens Food Bank.
In addition to the large group of local players, there were people from Bellingham to Tacoma that came to support this event.
The disc golf club would like to thank the Lake Stevens Parks Dept. for the use of this course.
We would also like to thank Creekside Steak and Ale House, Midori Teriyaki, Tall Guy Small Guy Automotive and a number of local players that generously donated to this event.
Brian Anderson
Lake Stevens
Family Center and Library make evening a success
Dear Editor,
A very sincere thank you to our friends and partners at the Lake Stevens Family Center and Lake Stevens Library who unconditionally supported our annual English Language Learners (ELL) Family Night.
After an evening of delicious Russian, Ethiopian, Italian, American, and Mexican dishes, Sunnycrest families were informed of the many valuable community resources available within the school and greater community.
We are extremely grateful for the support of this great community and look forward to continuing to build meaningful community partnerships in the future.
Tim Haines, Principal
Laurie Schrieber, ELL Coordinator
Barbara Vache, ELL Instructor
HOT lanes on I-405 are a bad idea
Dear Editor,
Here we go again. The Legislature down in Olympia is considering HB 1382 and SB 5490, both of which would create high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes along Interstate 405 between Lynnwood and Bellevue through the conversion of the existing HOV lane, in the hopes that HOT lanes would reduce traffic congestion.
However, do not be fooled.
One of the prime supporters of the bill has even come out to say that the 405 HOT lanes would become a cash cow for the state, and that reducing congestion is not really the intent of this bill.
Am I the only one who has an issue with this statement?
To add fuel to the fire, what the Legislature and the DOT appear not to be fully disclosing is that they intend to change the designation so that carpoolers would have to pay a toll to use these lanes, the very vehicles that are helping reduce some of the congestion in the first place.
If the Legislature and the DOT truly care about reducing traffic congestion, they need to focus on reducing the number of vehicles driving on 405, not rewarding single-occupant vehicles to “pay their way” into this toll lane and giving the middle finger to carpoolers.
The money they intend to spend on this mega-project would be much better spent on investing on such things as utilizing the BNSF rail that parallels much of 405 for a commuter rail line between Everett/Snohomish and Renton, expanding and improving access to bus service, as well as providing employers the tools to offer incentives to employees to carpool, vanpool, bus, or telecommute.
The 405 HOT lane idea is nothing more than a flavor of the month, in my opinion.
It is a band-aid approach to solving traffic congestion. We need more innovative solutions pursued or better representation down in Olympia. HOT lanes on 405 are a bad idea and a big waste of money.
Will Brandt
Lake Stevens
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