 Auburn responds to help Oso!
The tragic landslide in Oso has been at the front of our minds for a long time now. What we know though is that it has brought out the best in people as we care for our neighbors to the north. Your City has responded as it always does!
From the Valley Regional Fire Authority, Battalion Chief Parry Boogard, Captain Dale Laginess, Firefighter Barry Rickert and Firefighter Jason Herman (pictured above) all helped with the search effort as part of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Washington Task Force 1 team. Capt. Laginess and firefighter Herman have completed their time in Oso while Battalion Chief Boogard and firefighter Rickert continue their work there.
One of our local businessmen, David Allen and Longhorn Barbecue got called to provide catering for the Oso mudslide in the immediate aftermath. They were there within three hours and fed over 250 people.
And I have just approved three City employees and a volunteer to deploy today - our Emergency Manager Sarah Miller, assistant City Attorney Steve Gross, Scott Currie from our emergency management division and Tom Petrakis a volunteer with our emergency management division. They have been asked to assist with logistics in the Snohomish County Emergency Operations Center until April 4.
I am honored to work with people so dedicated to their community and to their fellow man. As we receive updates, I will share their thoughts and experiences from their deployment time to assist with the disaster in Oso. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the residents, friends, families and first responders who have experienced so much in the past days.
 Play Ball!
Mighty Casey did not strike out! In fact, no one struck out on Saturday, because the fields were rained out. That didn’t dampen the spirit for the opening day of Auburn Little League, though. Thanks to Cascade Middle School Principal Isaiah Johnson, the gym was opened, and coaches, players and fans filled the place to celebrate opening day. Dr. Kip Herren and I had the honor of throwing out the first pitch – Kip for Softball and me for Baseball. Thanks to the awesome quick pitching lesson from my daughter Lucky, I was able to pitch it right “over the plate” to my great catcher Coop (above). It is always so much fun to see everyone excited for the season.
 Robots are cool!
I was invited by the robotics team from Auburn High School (AHS Team #3219, TREAD) to speak at the Pacific Northwest FIRST Robotics District Event being hosted by Auburn High School. The place was packed!
The FIRST Robotics Competition combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of 25 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team brand, hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. It’s as close to "real-world engineering" as a student can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team.
You will not hear any complaints from me about this program and what it is doing for kids! Thank you for inviting me!
More information on FIRST can be found at www.usfirst.org.
What would you do?
King County Solid Waste has stated that south King County is in need of a new solid waste transfer station. Three possible sites are still on the list - two in Auburn, and one in Algona next to the current site. What are your thoughts about a new station being located in Auburn? Let me know what you think!
For those that would like to see the feedback from last weeks question on how see Auburn, you can view that here.
 Inside City Hall
Thursday & Friday were dedicated to the city council retreat/workshop held at Auburn Golf Course. Last year, the council retreat focused on planning for Auburn for the next 50 years. This year, with a new mayor (me!) and two new councilmembers (Yolanda Trout and Claude DaCorsi), we focused more on the short term goals - the next two-five years, and also how to work together in the most effective way possible. Everyone of your councilmembers is an intelligent and independent person, and they must find a way to work together as one body. That is a talent, and is sometimes difficult for people to achieve. I am proud to tell you that your council works very well together to do the right thing. They don't always agree, but they are always respectful in their discussion.
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