Spotted Owls Don't Live in Mukilteo, Silly

So it's T-13 days until I donate all this hair. It took about 2 years to grow out all of the sun, color, and swimming damage, and I decided my birthday would be the best day to give it away. Some lucky little girl is going to get a wig full of thick, curls, and I'll quit accidentally pulling my hair in random ways.

In sad community news, the Everett Symphony played its last concert at the Everett Civic Auditorium last night, and said goodbye to Dr. Cobbs after over 30 years. I thought I was a good trumpet player until Dr. Cobbs placed me at 2nd trumpet in the Youth Symphony, but he turned us all into musicians. Unfortunately, I had to work last night and missed the concert.

The Symphony said they are going to restructure, and come back in the next 2 years at a different venue, and with new musician contracts. That just means it will be in a smaller venue, and a lot of the good musicians who expect to be paid well will leave. And, of course, no Dr. Cobbs to lead. They didn't mention the fate of the Youth Symphony either.

Speaking of the Youth Symphony, my visit to Kamiak HS (where we used to practice) last week was very entertaining. Aside from the many times I was hushed in the visitor's balcony during a US Senate session, I had only gone to one public meeting in my life. The Paine Field Public Hearing was an absolute hoot, and not boring at all, like I expected.

Over 500 people showed up, and the mediator actually threatened to kick all of us out 6 times while I was there. Of course, I was absolutely silent after the old fellow sitting next to me told me not to mention to anyone else that I was from Arlington. Apparently, the Mukilteo residents think that commercial service should be added to the rinky-dink Arlington airport instead of Paine Field where they already have a full 747 capable runway. I was polite though, and didn't laugh everytime I heard someone say the service should be added to Arlington, but NIMBY's don't think with common sense.

I do have to say that the way the FAA and the airport ran the process was very arcaeic. First of all, they hired a firm from Oklahoma to do the EIS, which even the thought of an Okie pisses off PNW yuppies. They sat on the stage and looked down at the public commenters, and at times, I swear some of them were texting instead of listening. The firm's presentation was very one-sided, and even though I understand they are trying to move the process along quickly, I'm afraid that having every conclusion as, "no significant impact," when there are obvious schools, parks and stores in the airport vacintity, is just asking for a fight.

One guy did crack me up, though. He tried to claim that he recorded the hoot of a spotted owl in the half-acre wooded plot behind his home. In Mukilteo? On a half-acre without old growth? Hahahahahahahahahaha. Sorry, that's what I felt like doing in the middle of his 3 minute comment. Some people don't realize how much they can hurt their cause when they try to use science they don't understand.

After his endangered species claim, the crowd erupted in applause and shouts, and was one of the many times the moderator threatened to clear the room. What I don't understand is why they are fighting the wrong battle. Everyone knows that the county can't stop the service because it's against Federal Law to ban commercial flights from an airport deemed essential by the FAA. Why aren't these residents demanding pollution fees from Horizon and Allegient? Why are they not fighting for quieter jet technology, and cleaner fuels? Don't stall growth - demand smart growth, and we just may get somewhere.