Those who work construction on our highways lost one of their own last week. A Freeland man, Thomas Hintz, 51, was hit by a street sweeper that was backing up at the site east of Anacortes and north of La Conner. He worked for Rinker Materials, an Everett contractor.
When I heard someone had died, my first thought was it must have been a careless driver. At this time of year, workers like Hintz swarm over local roads.
Orange plastic cones are no protection from 3,000 pounds of moving steel and glass, yet road crews take that risk in all kinds of weather. I certainly would not relish the job.
Over the past year, I’d nod to them as they waved me through on my way to work and back. Sometimes there’d be a “Have a good day,” but other times, I’d get a stern look and a hand signal telling me to slow down.
There are road workers all over the state. You will see them if you travel to Seattle where road work begins on Interstate 5 between Spokane Street and I-90 in just 23 days. Expansion joints that link concrete bridge slabs could eventually fail and might lead to a deadly collision. The 40-year-old freeway will see heavier than usual backups from Seattle to Tacoma.
Someone waits for these men and women to come home each night. They never take that fact for granted. In the morning, they go back to their stations, inches away from heavy equipment and drivers who push the speed limit. Please pay attention. One loss is too many.
Marines, Mariners, money…
As many of you already know, Marines celebrate a birthday each Nov. 10, the day in 1775 when the Continental Congress commissioned Samuel Nicholas to raise two battalions of the Continental Marines, today known as the United States Marine Corps.
Each year local Marines put on quite a party, and that costs money.
According to MASTER SGT. RICK BRADLEY of the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training, about 30 Marines worked the food stands at Safeco Field in Seattle on July 14. Concessionaires rely on folks in the community to work and get paid for their efforts. If you represent a non-profit group, you could earn $60 per person.
Bradley said they ran three beer booths and one food booth, each person putting in six to seven hours.
Still groggy on Sunday after a hard day’s work, he estimates they earned $1,250 to put toward the Marine Ball.
If you represent a non-profit group, contact LUCIA of Center Plate at 206-664-3283. They will pay members of your group as they did the Marines.
“The Mariners are doing so well this year, lots of people showed up and we worked non-stop in our booths,” Bradley added. “It was a fast-paced day, the Mariners beat Detroit and the check is in the mail!”
Join the beach blight brigade …
If we take enjoyment from visiting the beach, shouldn’t we help clean them?
Apparently many people think so and have become volunteers in the clean up schedule organized by CHERYL MAY, program coordinator for the Lighthouse Environmental Programs.
“The project is nine years old,” said May, who takes pride in these numbers. “Over the last two years, for example, volunteers have removed approximately 65 tons of beach litter in around 7,300 hours.
“Some groups from the naval air station have even adopted beaches, such as NAMTRAU, Deception Pass; PSD, Ala Spit; FRC NW ELU SEAOPDET P30DET, Joseph Whidbey State Park; and Fort Casey Spit, CPOA. They have done a remarkable job.
“People are supposed to show up at 10 o’clock Saturday, I give them a trash bag and gloves and a small demonstration of what we have to do and why trash is harmful to the environment.
“Work wraps up in about 1 ½ hours and people leave. A new batch comes at 1:30 and the process is repeated.”
Sign up with a call to 678-4100 or write to cmay@whidbey.net.
Hey! Don’t waste it!
Long showers so loved by teenage boys are becoming socially unacceptable. So is letting the water run while you brush your teeth or shave.
Outdoors, you can also conserve with three things you probably already have: a tuna can, a broom and a screwdriver.
Use a broom to clean the driveway, not the garden hose.
Place tuna cans across your lawn and measure the ¾ inch of water (the depth of the can) your lawn needs over the week.
A long screwdriver is best to test for moisture. If the screwdriver goes into the soil easily, your soil still contains moisture. If you can’t push the screwdriver into the soil about an inch, you need to water.
More water-saving suggestions are at www.wateruseitwisely.com.
When we were kids, we wished summer would last forever. If you are old enough to count fewer summers ahead of you than behind, it is permissible to eat nothing all day but plump Rainier cherries, roll up in your good down comforter to watch the night sky and commit to memory that passing breeze, light as a kiss on the neck.
Won’t you tell me about your summer? Call 675-6611 or write lifeonwhidbey@yahoo.com.
