Letters

Snohomish County values revenue over recycling

 Dear Editor,
 
Falling back on a law passed in 1973 that was established to monitor the flow control of curbside garbage disposal, Snohomish County Public Works, with the approval of County Executive Aaron Reardon, has implemented debilitating restrictions on current day recycling efforts. 
Disregarding public comment and beginning on April 1st, 2011, local private hauling and recycling businesses are being forced to deliver recyclable materials to Snohomish County landfills and bypass the sorting of wood, metal, cardboard and concrete which is now being done at each company location.
SVR Construction Services, located on Old Hartford Road in Lake Stevens, estimates that less than 10 percent of each dumpster picked up from local homeowners, businesses and construction jobsites contains non recyclable material. 
By dumping and sorting each load, they are able to eliminate the needless and reckless overfilling of Snohomish County landfills.  By selling the sorted recyclable materials to area companies, businesses like SVR provide local employment, pay business, state income and property taxes and are leaders in environmental responsibility. 
We are proud of the work that we do and the County needs to see our industry differently from that of curbside trash pick up.
Our industry has become a common practice since this law was enacted.
It seems time that Snohomish County recognizes that the recycling efforts of private businesses be encouraged and supported instead of regulated and fined.
Concerned citizens are asked to contact their local Representatives and County Executive Aaron Reardon at 425-388-3460 or County.executive@co.snohomish.wa.us.
 
Janice Huxford
Lake Stevens

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Washington state has one of the highest wireless tax rates

Dear Editor,

A report is out showing that Washington has the second highest tax rate for wireless service in the nation.
Washington’s rate is over 23 percent and of course the legislature has shown no concern over this issue.
Cell phones have become a vital tool in our society and our money hungry state government has jumped on this by continually allowing this tax to increase.
I realize it takes money to run a government, but these continual tax and fee increases burden our society and will decrease our state’s ability to recover from the recent recession.
 
Todd Welch
Lake Stevens

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 G.F. offers all sorts of natural beauty

Dear Editor,

I have recently moved to the Granite Falls area and have had the pleasure of reading yours as well as a couple of other small local papers, and I must say I enjoy them very much.

I have moved here from a home with all the modern luxuries of life, to a small cabin 2.5 miles up a forest road.  I have no electricity, running water, or phone.

Anyhow, in my small time here I have experienced a fantastic windstorm, a destructive rainstorm, and two (in my opinion) very large snow amounts.

These are very new, and wonderful things to me.

I thought that perhaps your readers may enjoy a little lighter side of life, rather than government or everyday life stuff.
I would like to submit the following poem to you, for your enjoyment and your readers if you choose.  I wrote it while watching my first large mountain snow here in Granite.

If you choose to use it or not, this is a most beautiful place that the people around here (including me now) call home.
Thank you for your time.

Jana Moore
Granite Falls

 Charlie Brown Snow
By Jana Moore

Charlie Brown Snow
Is falling from the sky
Why it makes me think of that
I really don’t know why.

But it’s falling to the ground
And landing in the trees
It seems to be just dropping down
There’s no sign of a breeze.

There’s great big fluffy flakes
With little ones mixed together
They’re dancing their way through
The air
Lighter than a feather

Slowly, oh, so slowly
My green is fading away
It looks as if the snow this day
Just might decide to stay

It stayed alright, all
through the day
And fell silently throughout the night
What a lovely surprise I woke to
When I saw the mornings’ light.

Everything was covered white
Two feet to be exact
And this was that special kind
of snow
The kind that you could pack

So I put on all my longjohns
Two pair of socks, my coat and hat
I also wore my pants and gloves
And boots, you can’t forget that

I stepped down off my porch
And much to my surprise
The snow was reaching high above
Where my boot top shoes did rise

So I went back in the house
As fast as I could go
I knew I needed to be fully prepared
For all this Charlie Brown snow.

I found a pair of Grandpa’s overalls
And thought they might fit me
But when I finally got them on
My head was all you’d see.

I figured he wouldn’t care
He’d want me to go out and play
And enjoy all this Charlie Brown snow
Before it went away.

So dressed up like a saggy sack
I venture out into the snow
My grandpa helped me every step
Watching each white snowball grow.

I made a large snowman
A woman, and a child
And put on each white rounded face
A great big giant smile.

Then I tracked out to my favorite hill
Dragging my trusty sled
It was made of metal and wood
And the blades were painted red.

Charlie Brown snow is the best
I bet you know that too.
Cause when I sat upon that sled
Like lightning my body flew.

I spent all the rest of that day
Going up and down that hill
But just before the evening came
I felt a shivering chill.

So I tracked back to the house
Where lights were warm and aglow
My wife was in the doorway asking
“How was your Charlie Brown snow?”

We went inside and ate
chicken soup
While relaxing beside the fire

Gazing in wonder at our new baby girl
Laying next to the sled we just bought her.

I hope you enjoyed this, and understood it.  I’m a new grandma, and I just recently lost my grandfather.

Have a blessed day.