Stimulus dollars for schools

According to information provided by the watchdog group Stimulus Watch (www.stimuluswatch.org), the city of Snoqualmie has requested $5.8 million for a roundabout at Tokul Road and State Highway 202, $5.5 million for Meadowbrook Road and bridge upgrades, $300,000 for a railroad crossing at Stone Quarry Road and $4.4 million for five different water projects. Nothing, not one dollar, however, for schools. Why is this?

Other cities have put forward all kinds of school projects as possible recipients of federal economic stimulus funds. Los Angeles, for instance, is asking for $491,693 for a new roof at its Maclay Middle School; Miami is asking for $675,305 for HVAC and insulation replacement at an elementary school; Boston wants $2.9 million to replace windows at various schools, while Lynn, Mass., wants $20 million to rehabilitate a high school. All this information came from the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Mainstreet Economic Recovery Report, released on Feb. 17 (www.usmayors.org/mainstreeteconomicrecovery/).

Why hasn’t our city put forward a project for schools? Surely our mayor knows of our school district’s needs. Surely our school district officials knew that the economic stimulus package would be taking school proposals. It isn’t too late to put one forward, but there is little time to waste.

Elaine Harger

Snoqualmie

A humbling occasion

Thank you to my family, neighbors, friends and the Snoqualmie mayor, council and staff who made my 90th birthday such a memorable occasion.

The open house hosted by my sons, Denny and Dave, and daughters-in-law, Claire and Irene, was wonderful, as were other visits, cards, flowers, gifts, and city proclamation. All are deeply appreciated and very humbling.

With heartfelt thanks,

Gloria McNeely

Snoqualmie