My recent trip to Lithuania was my way of a relaxing 70th birthday. This was my sixth trip to the country of my heritage, and I have witnessed the modernization of old buildings and …

After the breakup of the USSR, the U.S. Agency for International Development sent me to Lithuania to help restructure their banking system and train examiners. A fellow Lithuanian who worked at …

There is good news coming out of Mukilteo – a city choosing to live within its means, even with voters approving an EMS levy, as Edmonds voters did years ago. But after Edmonds voters approved …

Edmonds is at a serious financial crossroads, and the choice of how City Council budgets will directly shape how well the City will recover in an efficient manner.   I recently urged …

You have heard me talk about the ratepayers of the Olympic View Water & Sewer District and that precious Deer Creek Water source. Currently, the City’s Critical Area (CARA) ordinance prohibits …

The story making the rounds from Mayor Mike  Rosen is that the City coffers are empty and it will shut down if a $14.5 million levy does not pass. But some of these facts might surprise you. …

Perrinville Creek was once a thriving, salmon-bearing stream that flowed through Edmonds and Lynnwood. Community groups like the Edmonds Stream Team used it as a teaching creek; it was a vibrant …

For 13 years, I sat on the Edmonds City Council, working with more than 15 councilmembers and under five mayors. Over that time, I watched City business unfold in ways that often felt more like high …

It’s hard to imagine that for 20 years, Edmonds held a secret known only to a handful of dog lovers and their four-legged friends. There, at the very end of the Marina Beach, beyond a …

There’s lots of meetings and media attention out there for the April 22 special election asking voters for annexation into the Regional Fire Authority (RFA). I am a member of the Edmonds Can Do …

Intense weather patterns are happening across the world, and we must recognize the impact on our coastal communities. We are stewards of our watersheds, and intense rain events have become the …

My first Community of Truth column must deal with finance, despite other pressing issues to be discussed later, including: The City Council is making very bad environmental code appeal …

A while ago, the Beacon asked me to consider a regular column. At first, I thought no, I don’t have the time. But then everyone I mentioned it to encouraged me, as I have lived through a very …