Bridge name
Mary Margaret Haugen bridge?
Dear Editor:
Up here in north Puget Sound, Snohomish and Island counties, we are all extremely pleased with the work being done to improve safety and accessibility on SR532.
Designers, engineers and workers on the ground have worked quickly with a minimum amount of inconvenience to the people who live and work here in Stanwood and Camano Island.
The major phase of the project right now is completing the “Mark Clark” bridge.
We are all eagerly watching and waiting to see how it is developing and what the bridge is going to look like.
It seems an opportune time to consider renaming the bridge. Many of us believe that the name of the bridge should honor someone of significance in the Stanwood and Camano community; someone whose contributions are above and beyond, rather than a person who just passed through.
Local lore has it that General Mark Clark did not really live here, he merely visited on Camano Island at some time in the past.
My suggestion is that the bridge should be named the Mary Margaret Haugen bridge.
Senator Haugen was born on Camano Island, she grew up in this community. She has served in elected office here since she was elected to the school board 37 years ago.
It is through her efforts that we even have this improvement work going on.
Senator Haugen’s work on behalf of the 10th Legislative District is nothing short of phenomenal. She has truly represented the interests of the people throughout the 10thth District.
She has solved problems for people of the district when they have asked, from farmers to roads to DSHS conflicts.
She was the driving force in expediting permitting so that Twin City Foods would rebuild in Stanwood. She was the leader in getting allocations for the improvements to SR20 and she was the leader in making the much-needed safety and access improvements for SR532.
Senator Haugen has truly earned the recognition of having this new bridge named for her.
Laura E. Lewis Stanwood
