Update August 22, 2008
(An update to the people from Mayor Pete Lewis)
My ‘new’ work week normally starts on Saturday, but I was out late on Friday night to greet our Pierce County representative Shawn Bunney at Sunset Park and thank him and the county for their funding of our outdoor Summer Sounds and Comcast Cinema concert and movie at the park series on our Pierce County side. We were all there to watch the “Bee Movie” and there were big toys and popcorn, a wonderful sunset on a warm summer night.
Saturday we had a 90th birthday surprise party out at the While River Buddhist Temple on Auburn Way North. Now, normallyI’d be worried about ‘surprise’ and ‘90th birthday’ in one sentence, but this one was for Mae Yamada and I knew she was up for it! I think she was really pleased when she entered the room full of family and friends. She quietly turned to family members coming in behind her and with a smile on her face said, “You lied to me!” She has been a part of our lives for generations, a true Pioneer Queen in 2006 and a great representative for us all.
We arrived at Messiah Lutheran Church (near Auburn High School) on Sunday morning just after 9am for the service and dedication of their new building. It was a good service and we got to see old friends. As you might recall last Sunday was pretty warm and we were all glad to get into the newly constructed part of the building with air conditioning for the dedication and lunch that ended about 1pm.
We left there to go to the Latino service at the White River Presbyterian Church on 12th St SE about 2 p.m. and were there until after 4 p.m. The music and singing was great. I reminded the people there that Kathy and I have been to many of the churches in Auburn this year. We’ve heard the hymns of our childhood in many languages. Some of the words sound strange yet the voices and the Spirit remains the same.
Monday’s meeting with the Directors of Planning, Public Works, Police, Legal, Human Resources, Information Services, Parks and Finance concentrated on the three Council meetings that would take place that night. We went over the agendas for the evening’s Public Works Committee and Finance Committee. We reviewed what had happened the week before at the Council’s Planning and Municipal Services Committees. Then we got ready for the evening meeting of the full Council.
Lately I have heard that some believe my presence at each of the Council’s committee meetings has been interpreted as trying to control the process. I always thought it was part of my job to be there. I know I am usually the least knowledgeable person there in a room full of expert staff, but I never thought I had much of a choice. If I am the CEO of the city and responsible to the people, then I want to be there to find out what’s going on. As far as controlling the Council huh, good luck with that one! They are a great group of people but they’ve never hesitated yet to make their own decisions.
Tuesday started with a trip to SeaTac City Hall. Our Public Works Director and I were there for a meeting of the South County Area Transportation Board (SCATBd). The board was started decades ago by a coalition of south county chambers hoping desperately to have some voice in roads being built every where else but in the south end. This organization now includes most of the cities south of Seattle on the west and Renton and south on the east.
I had some time to go to a club meeting for lunch and then a short drove to Game Farm Park which was filled to capacity. I had gotten an e-mail a short time ago from the American Legion asking for help. They said that the 81st Armored Brigade of the Washington Guard will be sending more than 2,400 soldiers from Washington to Iraq. This is the Brigade’s second deployment in four years. They needed a place to let all of the families get together and have a picnic before they left. It was a time to say goodbye and many were leaving early the next morning. Within hours we had set up a departure ceremony for the Washington National Guard 81st Brigade.
Many dignitaries were on hand to assist in the send off including Governor Chris Gregoire, Congressman Dave Reichert and Congressman Adam Smith. We also had visits from Dino Rossi and state Senator Pam Roach.
The event was organized by a wonderful group from the American Legion that took care of the more than 1,300 people that attended the event. The Legion and our Parks staff did an outstanding job on short notice. I thanked them for their efforts, talked to the families as a veteran and past military dependent and told them all they will always be welcome here!
The week so far had been dark with rain off and on and that didn’t change on Wednesday as many of us gathered at Price Hilton Funeral Home for another goodbye. Dorothy Marion Bothell passed away last week at the age of 101. She was surrounded by family when she left us and was surrounded by an even larger family of Auburn and the lives she had touched at the service. She saw so many changes, as our first female councilmember she directed them as well and I was honored to be there with all to remember her.
I came back to City Hall for my monthly meeting with the pastors of the city. Since its August, everybody’s on vacation and I only had a few folks there, but I treasure every minute talking about the needs of the people.
It was raining even harder as I made my way with my granddaughter Alyx, who is visiting us for a week, down Main Street across the street to the backside of Auburn’s Collision One building for a special dedication.
For the last month a group of young people working under the supervision of King County and 4Culture have been painting a mural on the back of that building. I’d been looking out my window watching the trains go through town and reflecting on all the train rides I’d taken when I was younger. From a train you always see the worst side of a city, don’t you?
When the group came in and asked me where they could find buildings in Auburn for a mural painting. I pointed out my office window and said, “How about that one?” The Collision One building is on the other side of the Burlington Northern tracks. They were concerned about getting the right to do it so I called the owner Gary Stamps and asked him if he would be interested in the project. I’ve known Gary and his good heart for decades and wasn’t at all surprised when he gave his whole-hearted, “Yes!”
So now we have our first mural on the AMTRAK and Sounder line. Want to be next? Let me know. You can also see another mural done in panels that the kids volunteered to do after the first one was completed that is now hanging on the old Mel’s lumber building behind city hall.
Thursday started early and there was an apple for the teacher. Well, there were about 60 of them, as we welcomed the new teachers at the Auburn School District, Adventist Academy and Green River Community College at the New Educator Recognition Breakfast sponsored by the Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce and held in the cafeteria of the Auburn Regional Medical Center. Every year I am surprised because I know I haven’t gotten any older so they must be allowing teachers to be a lot younger!
I spoke to our new teachers about how pleased they must be to be selected to teach in this great community. I also reminded them of how special a place this is and encouraged them to become part of our community in order to truly understand and teach our children.
The rain had continued all week, but by Thursday afternoon as we drove out to the Chamber’s Monthly Mixer at the new Centex Homes building on 277th, we were able to walk around and see all of the new homes – and sales. I especially like the row houses with the garages accessed through a central alley and the houses with front porches all pushed out toward the street so people can actually talk to each other. I grew up in developments like that and that central alley was safe for bikes and games and all of the things kids can do on a warm summer night surrounded and safe in their own community.
By Friday the sun was out and the promise of another good weekend was in the air. Throughout the week I’ve been getting updates on the pages of city work projects that have been going on as we re-surface streets, complete water, sewer and storm drainage projects trying to beat the fall rains. We have some time left, but in just another 12 days school starts and the ease of the summer commute ends.
We always try to get as much done as we can before that date arrives because the work gets even more difficult as even more traffic hits the streets. We all really appreciate everyone’s patience as we complete these projects. We’ve done so much together so far and every year gets us closer to our goal of having all our local streets updated and our minor arterials brought up to standard as well. Sure would be nice if the price of oil – which is the cost of asphalt for our roads – would go down.
I’ve been spending a portion of each day going out and looking at the work we have done and watching what is yet to be completed. We do have two seasons here in Western Washington, construction season and the rainy season and we are nearing the end of one and getting ready for the start of the other. I don’t know how many have seen all the repair work being done along the dikes and levees on the Green and White Rivers, but finally the funds are arriving to do the work that has been put off for 30 years.
I can’t wait to get back outside today and tour the streets to see what else has been accomplished. Yes there is a lot yet to do, but we’ve come so far, done so much and we’ve done all of it the “Auburn Way,” working together so that our home will always be More Than You Imagined!
Pete Lewis
Mayor of Auburn
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