Karen attended her final city council meeting, Tuesday, December 4, 2019. Twelve-years of elective service in the City of Snohomish came to an end.
My favorite story of Karen’s adventure in city politics dates from 2007, during her second run for office. I was doorbelling 
with her on Avenue H in the east side of town where I took the east side of the the street and where I came across the historic home at #315 which had a historic society plaque announcing it as the “J. S. White House.”
I first learned about White, architect and contractor, on a walking tour led by the late David Dilgard just the year before. Discovering the family home was the spark that lit the fire to write a book about White and his work.
An unspecified acknowledgment of Karen’s (and Lynn Schilaty’s) work on the council, was the approval of the Trust Water Rights Agreement, which, in short, enrolled the City’s Pilchuck River water rights in the state trust water right program, a long-term cooperative framework with Ecology to preserve the historical water rights and river flows. It’s a complex agreement, requiring a change in state law, but it’s done and approved during Karen’s final meeting.
Below is an encore posting of a short movie I put together that came out of a public meeting, on Karen’s birthday in 2016, where the issue of water costs was addressed. So I got a tour of the diversion dam and treatment plant on the Pilchuck River to learn more. With our water rights secured the dam will be removed and the treatment plant closed.
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Several people spoke to Karen’s service at the meeting, including: My Story of How Kindness Came to the City of Snohomish.
Once upon a time,
Our small town became smaller
When sides were taken up for a local election
Held in a Time of Fear and Anger.
Sides between Fear of a Face in a Yard Sign
and those Trusting Process;
Between the Anger to stick a stake in the Bosom
pictured on a Yard Sign and Kindness.When the new Mayor, elected by the people,
Just like the old days, took office,
He stopped shouting to listen and learn
From those who make city government work.Kindness fell upon him.
Perhaps he will Proclaim Snohomish to be a
Kindness City – joining an international movement!Going even further, the elected Mayor
Will invite his defeated opponent
From the local election of Facebook and Fear,
That Echoed the Presidental Election,
To serve as Snohomish’s First Kindness Ambassador
To the World!
For background on the 2017 city election, follow this link to view one of Karen’s campaign mailers.
Learn more about the Kindness City movement.
Featured image above is from Fifteen Yoga Poses Around Town
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