Pats on the back A reminder that some ?good stuff is going on here, along with the difficulties

Published 6:49 pm Monday, July 20, 2015

One of the things I wanted to make sure I didn’t neglect when I became editor here was praise. I wanted to give pats on the back for jobs well done, and not just participant ribbons. Some people might feel that the whole paper is about that, and sometimes it is. Those are the good weeks.

Yet we have some tension going on in the Valley right now.

I can’t be the only one who’s noticed how many people have filed for office in this election cycle, how many people are showing up at public meetings of late to share concerns and research.

Maybe it’s the weather, traffic, or the post-Fourth rush to get all our summer projects and vacations in. Whatever the cause, I think everyone can benefit from some reminders about the good stuff we have going on here.

Relay for Life

Yes, I’m starting with an easy one, but I have a soft spot for Relay, going back to when I helped start one in South Dakota about 20 years ago. And really, what’s not to love about the Relay? Chairperson Bev Jorgensen is a star, radiating kindness and strength. When she says they’re going to “finish the fight” against cancer, I believe her.

The teams stay together year after year, like families. People really open up at the event, too, sharing personal stories that can’t be told in any other venue, or at any other time. I am grateful — and a little surprised — when they share them with me, a nosy stranger, and I think the people are grateful to be able to talk about their struggles, too.

Torguson Park is a great home for the event. Everything is close together, right there, and still open for the rest of the community to use or for Relayers to escape for some quiet time.

Snoqualmie traffic

OK, it’s been a snarl for months, and has made my life difficult, too, but it also helped me remind me of how beautiful this place is. Taking the long way around is also taking the scenic route.

After phase 1 of the project, I was constantly hearing from people visiting the city about how nice it looked. I expect the same will happen when this phase is done. And have you noticed? It’s getting closer to completion, and those temporary traffic lights are gone.

Snoqualmie’s staff have done their very best to keep people alert to the traffic revisions throughout the project, too. If you didn’t know about it, it’s not because the information wasn’t out there.

Actually, all city staff have been working hard on this point, in my view, and putting residents first. They’ve been holding regular meetings with downtown merchants, putting out almost weekly bulletins about the project, each one ending with where to find parking, and who to call with questions, and simultaneously taking on work to help other jurisdictions like King County Roads, which re-routed Lake Alice traffic through Snoqualmie Ridge while working on the Lake Alice Road.

North Bend growth

I suspect this is one of the big issues for many of the aspiring city council candidates, so no matter how you feel about growth, it is getting people involved in the public process, which is a plus.

Every city handles growth differently, too, so I’m going to avoid unfair comparisons.

The biggest positive I see in North Bend’s approach to growth is that the city is flexible, and willing to learn from any perceived mistakes.

The people making these decisions are not professional builders and planners, or at least not all of them are. They are advised by professionals, but they get the final vote on street widths, housing densities, and all those other details that are boring and extraneous until they are changing in or around your neighborhood.

That’s where you get involved, and in the end, why you also deserve a pat on the back. Getting involved is a big deal, and one that involves understanding the public process. So many North Bend citizens have been doing that, it’s inspiring. They research issues, go to the meetings, and work within the system to effect the changes they want to see.

Good for you, I say, and because of your commitment to fairness, good for us, too.