My earliest memories of Woodinville came from Mom. We visited her friends who lived on acreage here that appeared as a widescreen countryscape dotted with horses. I had no idea then that I would return years later and raise my own family in these same rustic hills.
Now gone some 17 years, Mom still appears to me as a fresh memory every day. Such is the power of Moms.
With nearly 3,000 families within the city limits, and more than twice that many in the immediate area, Moms are our largest special interest group. They are potentially more influential than the Wodinville Rotary, Sammamish Valley Grange, Hollywood Hill Association, Concerned Neighbors of Wellington, and all of city government combined.
Yet important issues may be decided this year without much input from Moms. Annexation, new housing, new shopping, new civic events and themes, and even a major new park are now being hotly debated, mostly by men. Among decisionmakers, none of the city's senior staff are Moms and only two of the seven city councilmembers are Moms.
Have you seen the "One W" decals around town? They're slowly spouting on car windows, storefronts, yard signs and even on A-boards. It's a grassroots effort by the Greater Woodinville Chamber to create a family-friendly vision of our future town. David Witt, local resident and chamber executive director, plans to present the unified vision to city officials this fall.
Is this the opportunity for Moms to speak out? To act as a sort of Mothers Against Disharmony in our Downtown? "One Woodinville" has a Facebook Page, a modest website at www.oneWoodinville.org and even post office box for your ideas. Free "One W" decals are available at the chamber office in the Carol Edwards Center for even the silent majority to show their support.
What do Moms want from this campaign? What do you expect from city hall? How should Woodinville look and feel like in the future if Moms had the last say?
