 "Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt -
 The City of Auburn is honored to host three events this Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, 2024, in honor of our brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice. While only one is organized by the City itself, all three are held in our community and are organized by incredible veterans organizations whose mission is to ensure we never forget.
Memorial Day is a time to pause to remember these brave souls who have given everything in the name of freedom and liberty. We honor these fallen heroes and their families with our heartfelt thanks and support.
I hope to see you at one or all of the events!
Memorial Day Ceremony at Mountain View Cemetery
 The first of the day's ceremonies is at Mountain View Cemetery, which has been hosting a remembrance event for decades. The cemetery is currently undergoing an expansion called the ForestWalk Cremation Garden, a project that will significantly expand the services offered by our beautiful cemetery.
Monday, May 27
10 a.m.
Auburn Mountain View Cemetery, 2020 Mountain View Drive
Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park
 The second Memorial Day event is organized by the American Legion Post #78 and is held at the Auburn Veterans Memorial, Park, the same space our annual Remembrance Ceremony and Lighting of the Flame is held before each Veterans Day Parade.
The American Legion always does such an amazing job organizing such beautiful events to honor our veterans, and I really hope you can take the time to join us.
Monday, May 27
11 a.m.
Auburn Veterans Memorial Park, 411 E. Street NE
Vietnam War Memorial Ceremony at Les Gove Park
Vietnam War Memorial Groundbreaking (Courtesy photo)
Last but not least, the American-Vietnamese War Memorial Alliance is hosting an observance at the Vietnam War Memorial at Les Gove Park. I remember when this memorial was first built in June 2018, thanks in no small part to the hard work of the Alliance and the Auburn City Council.
The American-Vietnamese War Memorial Alliance, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, serves as a bridge between American veterans, their families, and the south Vietnamese refugee community. Their work extends beyond the memorial itself, of course. The alliance organizes and participates in various events and activities throughout the year to honor the fallen soldiers and veterans of the Vietnam War.
Their dedication to preserving the memory of those who served is unwavering, and they strive to ensure that their sacrifices are never forgotten.
Monday, May 27
12:30 p.m.
Les Gove Park Vietnam War Memorial, 910 9th Street SE
Click the photo to listen to the interview
Wednesday morning, I joined 570 KVI's John Carlson on his show "The Commute with Carlson" to discuss King County's approach to homelessness and how it relates to Auburn's approach.
If you've listened to John, you'll know that he shares many sentiments with our residents — people are fed up. They want solutions, and they want them yesterday.
The King County cities, including Auburn, are actively contributing to the fight against homelessness. Many of us, while not able to provide financial support to organizations like the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) are making a significant impact in our communities.
I want KCRHA to succeed, and that's why I've continued to serve on its Governing Committee. I'm also serving on the committee assigned to the new CEO search. Another committee is looking at overhauling the governance structure so less time can be spent in board meetings and more time can be spent doing the work necessary to solve this issue.
I hope you'll give the interview a listen. You can find it online.
 I was lucky to receive an invitation Thursday afternoon to hang out with a group of amazing soon-to-be West Auburn Senior High School graduates who were all getting their senior pictures taken! And FOR FREE I might add!
 Thank you Auburn Youth Council and the Downtown Auburn Cooperative, which is managed by Executive Director and Councilmember Cheryl Rakes, for organizing this incredible free resource.
Kavaughn and Alex (Dorien)
I also want to thank seniors Kavaughn and Alex (who also goes by Dorien) and sophomore Malia, for telling me about their studies and plans after high school. Such bright futures ahead!
 Walmart leadership was kind enough to extend an invitation to their Associate Week Celebration event at the Auburn Walmart Supercenter along Outlet Collection Way.
Thank you Deborah Herron, director of Public Affairs and State and Local Government Relations for thinking of us, Regional VP Colt Benson for allowing us to crash your party, and to the hundreds of Region 60 associates in attendance. If you didn't know, Walmart's Region 60 is headquartered in Auburn, and that includes all of Alaska, Washington, North Idaho and most of Oregon!
 Many of you may not know this, but I worked in retail for many years—at Piggly Wiggly! The store is long closed, and it's been many, many years since I last punched a time card, but I still remember all of the valuable lessons I learned. One of the most important was how to be a good customer because, believe it or not, customer service goes both ways!
 There’s only one more week to provide your feedback for the Draft Comprehensive Transportation Plan! Click on the links below to let us know what you think about transportation in the City:
Safety: To share your concerns and comments about safety in the city’s streets, click here.
Projects: To learn about the projects we are proposing and provide your feedback, click here.
Bicycle Network: To view the proposed bicycle network and provide your comments, click here.
Bicycle Facilities: To view current and proposed bicycle facilities and provide your comments, click here.
Sidewalks: To see where there currently is sidewalk and provide your feedback about these sidewalks and sidewalk gaps, click here.
 Petpalooza weekend somehow came and went faster than a Border Collie leaping for a Frisbee! While the rain was a little unfortunate later in the day, Mother Nature was feeling generous and provided a nice layer of clouds to block out the harsh sun for the most part.
Thank you to everyone who attended! Our Parks staff heard positive comments from our vendors/sponsors and saw many positive comments on Facebook from our community! We also had nearly 600 Dog Trot registrants! If you missed it this year, please pencil us in on your calendar for next year – you won’t want to miss it!
Check out our photo gallery on Facebook or DropBox.
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