Election 2010 is upon us and the campaign signs are 'growing like weeds'. This intersection of 166th AVE NE and NE 104th St. is one good example.
If you think the signs are abundant for Election 2010, just wait til next year. Election 2011 will feature 9 local elections! This blog will help you learn about the candidates. The following positions are up for election in November, 2011:
- City of Redmond - Mayor John Marchione and Councilmembers Hank Myers, David Carson, and Hank "Dayle" Margeson are all up for election in Novermber, 2011. In addition, Richard Cole will retire from his 24 year city council career.
- Lake Washington School District: School Board members Christopher Carlson, Ravi Shahani, and Jackie Pendergrass terms will end and their districts are up for election November, 2011
- Evergreen Public Hospital Commissioner Augie Kempf term ends 2011.
As for the city weeding this roadside island? You might try Mayor John Marchione. The Mayor is over all City Operations. Hank Margeson is a good bet, too. Both John and Hank live about 1/4 from this intersection.
Posted by Bob Yoder
Photo by Yoder
7/29
Photo by Yoder
7/29
Councilmembers Kim Allen and John Stilin live on Education Hill, too - not too far from this intersection.
ReplyDeleteI frequently walk throughout my neighborhood on Education Hill; especially during this time of year when the weather is great. It’s easy to take the beauty of this area for granted once you’ve lived here a while.
ReplyDeleteDuring these walks I am often irritated and disheartened when I see litter and trash discarded along the side of the road and sidewalks. I try to imagine the state of mind of someone so careless, selfish, and thoughtless that would throw their fast food bags and cups out the window of their car as they pass through my neighborhood.
I view the “out of control” weed situation depicted in the photo in much the same way. That same condition exists in numerous areas under the control and responsibility of the City. There is a theory called the “broken window syndrome” (http://www.sjvgreens.org/broken.shtml) which says that when problems in a neighborhood go uncorrected, they foster additional problems.
The intersection in question was completely renovated a couple of years ago at a very high cost to tax payers. When this project was conceived and funded, wasn’t the cost of maintenance included? Is there a schedule for maintenance? Who is responsible for auditing the performance of the City in meeting this responsibility? My confidence in the City is undermined each time I pass that area. I wonder why the numerous City employees, managers, and elected officials who pass through the area don’t see that the problem is fixed. I’m not talking about the weed removal problem, but rather I’m referring to the problem of a broken process that fails basic maintenance.
The City should assess their ability to maintain their existing areas of responsibility before they engage in new projects. My informal and incomplete audit reveals numerous areas that are often ignored and this would indicate that we have outgrown our capacity to manage what we have.
Hey, we drove through the intersection today and it looks really nice now! The weeds are all gone! Beddings are barked, too!
ReplyDeleteThank you, City of Redmond!!
Yes, it really looks good! I hope they will monitor/maintain it on a regular basis. I also noticed that they maintained the trail (at least the section I walked today) from Hartman Park down to the powerline trail. It's much nicer when you don't have to navigate through the blackberry branches which seem to grow about one foot per day when the weather is warm.
ReplyDelete