As the president of the Enumclaw Chamber of Commerce, I would like to commend Councilmember Liz Reynolds for proposing her 10-point plan to “Boost Enumclaw’s Economy.” The full City Council has responded positively and acted quickly by working in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, Mount Rainier Independent Business Alliance and the city’s Community Economic Development Committee.

Within days of Liz’s proposal, the council has already enacted the most impactful portions of her plan. The city is currently in the process of allowing temporary outdoor signage to improve wayfinding and visibility. The council has also implemented a “buy local” policy for city purchases and will place signs at all the city entrances directing visitors to downtown shops.

Leveraging help from other local organizations, the council is also working to implement a downtown beautification program and purchase nearly a thousand local television spots promoting Enumclaw as a destination for summer time events.

The chamber has agreed to take on the first phase of the beautification project and we look forward to helping the City Council and Liz Reynolds accomplish the balance of her 10-point program to strengthen Enumclaw’s downtown.

Beverly A. Olson, president, board of directors

Enumclaw Area

Chamber of Commerce

Diners seeking support for

local restaurant

While having supper the other night at the Krain Corner restaurant we became aware of an impending tragic loss to the community. It seems a significant amount of business at the Krain comes from the north (Seattle, Bellevue, etc.), via the Gorge Bridge.

These folks from the city are attracted by the very unique atmosphere, down-home good food and excellent service at the historic old Krain, but are unwilling to venture onto the “back road” detours to get there.

The extended closing of the bridge has had a very serious negative impact on this source of tourist dollars to the community as a whole, and the Historic Krain in particular.

This is a chance for individual families to make a difference. Not wishing on the one hand to take any business from anyone else, we would like nevertheless to encourage the citizens of the area to dine, whenever possible, at the Krain during this difficult period. It would be a shame to lose this iconic landmark.

Dr. and Mrs. A.L. Hallowell

Upset with idea to combine state agencies

Last week I received a publication called “Retirement Outlook.” All members of the state of Washington retirement system, usually receive this publication. One article did alarm me and I wish to convey this information to all of the people in the DRS system. DRS stands for the Department of Retirement Systems.

Our governor, Christine Gregoire, has already assigned Steve Hill to be the head over DRS. He has been and still is the head over HCA, which stands for Health Care Authority. In other words the governor has placed Steve Hill over two very large agencies.

This should be a big deal right? The rub comes with the governor’s desire to merge HCA and DRS into one agency. Our governor is going to make this proposal to the 2010 state legislature. Of course it will have many flowery justifications to wave before the legislature when the time comes. So far it all doesn’t sound so bad, right?

It is my opinion that if the DRS and the HCA are merged, there will be a very real possibility that the retiree’s funds will be dipped into to assist the funding of socialized health care for the underinsured in the state.

There will be one budget for the HCA and the DRS.

Be assured that our governor has socialized medicine and health care as a high priority on her agenda. It is written in the Retirement Outlook.

The retirement fund so far is healthy, but due to a large number of Baby Boomers retiring at the same time, the funding is stretched very tightly.

Those who worked hard their entire life to earn a retirement should not have to endure the destabilization of their retirement income source, the DRS. Go to www.drs.wa.gov for information.

Christine Gregoire should be ashamed of targeting the money of retired people in our state. This affects teachers, both sheriff and state patrol, public employees and there are others I am not familiar with. I am a former public employee and am now retired.

Hap Whalen,

Enumclaw