Month: March 2023

This last Wednesday I delivered my annual State of County Address at the Steilacoom Town Hall.  I was honored to be joined by Nisqually Tribal Chairman Willie Frank III, Bobby Whitener from the Squaxin Tribe, Judges Tim Ashcraft and Kevin McCann, Auditor Linda Farmer, Council Chair Ryan Mello, Councilmembers Dave Morell, Jani Hitchen, Amy Cruver, and Paul Herrera.  Beyond our host, Steilacoom Mayor Dick Muri, we were also joined by Mayor Victoria Woodards of Tacoma and Mayor Kathy Hayden of Sumner.  But I especially appreciate those of you who took time during your lunch to hear more about what we are focused on this year. During this speech, I spoke of the importance of hope, dignity, and purpose in the human experience. With all three, you are likely living a fulfilled…

This month is Women’s History Month, and this past Wednesday we recognized International Women’s Day. If you look at the history of Pierce County, you will be amazed at some of the women who blazed trails for the women leaders we have today. Authors Deb Freeman and Michael Ann Konek wrote a book titled “Leading Ladies: Twenty-one of Tacoma’s Women of Destiny.”  Three of them stood out to me.  Clara Antoinette McCarty Wilt (born in Steilacoom, lived as a child in Sumner, and as an adult in Tacoma) was the first graduate of the University of Washington (then called the Territorial University) and the first woman to hold public office (Superintendent of Pierce County Schools). Tacoma philanthropist Franke Tobey Jones was a key backer of what is now the University of Puget Sound…

I have a robe that I wear in the morning.  It keeps me warm on cold winter days when getting the coffee for my wife.  My robe is not symbolic of a foundational element of our society (although I still have a West Point bathrobe I won in a bet on the Army-Navy game more than 40 years ago!).  And even when “zooming” into a meeting, I would never think of wearing my robe to work!  But we have over 40 colleagues who do wear robes to work every day - and these robes represent their impartiality, objectivity, wisdom, and fairness. Many of us will never see the inside of a courtroom unless we are serving on a jury (and please answer that summons!).  However, what happens there is a…