Boalch a priority
I want to express a bit of frustration at the thought of Boalch Avenue closed for bridge repair. Nothing is being done to repave it.
This is one of the most scenic roads in North Bend and provides access to recreation in the Valley, the golf course and Centennial Field, as well as the frontage road for Meadowbrook Farm Interpretive Center, where hundreds of visitors come for various events including Tour de Peaks. The road condition is dangerous, with the entire section of road that is located in the city of North Bend pitted with potholes and uneven surface, as well as no shoulder.
Being an avid biker, I’ve found myself having to ride into oncoming traffic numerous times to avoid the gaps in the pavement.
I understand from city staff that the funds and priority are not all there for this project. But I ask the city to consider moving the re-paving of Boalch Avenue up the list so it can be consistent with the other half of the road, located in the city of Snoqualmie, where they made it a priority for the safety and aesthetics of the Snoqualmie Valley.
Jeanne McCormick-Acker
North Bend
Good Samaritans
We would like to send a thank you to the Good Samaritans who helped us on Interstate 90 just west of North Bend, when we went off the road into the center medium snowbank. In the anxious moments of the event, we neglected to get the names of the people who towed us out. They live in North Bend, and were on their way to Home Depot.
Thanks so much!
Dan and Jean Dufresne
Kennewick
Set a good example
‘Tis the season for family gatherings and good cheer — and all too often adults caught up in the holiday spirit fail to recognize how their behavior impacts the young people around them.
In a recent survey, 65 percent of teen drinkers reported they obtained alcohol from family members or friends. In another study, nearly one in five adults said they believe it is acceptable for parents to provide alcohol to teenagers in their own home.
In that same study, 96 percent of parents found it unacceptable for another parent or adult to provide alcohol to their teenage children without their permission — they said if they found out about it, they would consider taking action against the other parent.
Alcohol is by far the biggest drug problem among Washington’s youth. It has taken more young lives than tobacco and illicit drugs combined. If you think this doesn’t apply to the young people in your life, you should know that, according to the results of the most recent Washington State Healthy Youth Survey, one in four 10th graders and one in three 12th graders has been drunk in the past 30 days .
Because a teen’s brain is still developing, alcohol can cause long-term damage to memory and learning. In fact, kids who drink before age 15 are five times more likely to have alcohol problems when they’re adults.
Parents and other adults can keep themselves off Santa’s “naughty” list and get a start on their New Year’s resolutions by pledging to set a good example this holiday season.
Talk to the young people in your life about all the risks involved with drinking: alcohol poisoning, unplanned and unwanted sexual activity, fights, injuries, car crashes and impaired brain development.
Don’t ignore drunken behavior at your holiday gatherings—explain to the young people in attendance that alcohol can sometimes allow, even encourage, people to say and do things they wouldn’t otherwise say or do.
Don’t let adults drive after drinking, and let the young people at your gathering hear you planning how to ensure it doesn’t happen
Never give alcohol to those under 21, and make sure other adults don’t give it to the young people in your life.
The holidays should be a time for good times, good cheer and good memories. Give the young people in your life a holiday gift that will last a lifetime by setting a good example in your holiday celebrations.
Michael Langer and Roger Hoen
Co-chairs, Washington State Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking
