On the Mayor's Mind: Gratitude, Love and Service; Lessons Learned and Standing Tall

Mayor Shari Winstead

By Shoreline Mayor Shari Winstead 7.13.2015

Last month we lost the man that some people refer to as the Grandfather of Shoreline.

Ron Hansen was a founding councilmember and former Mayor of the City of the Shoreline, and someone we all owe a great deal of gratitude. Ron was a community leader of the best kind. His involvement in Rotary, Kiwanis, and many other organizations touched so many lives, and paved the way for the City we enjoy today.

I was grateful to attend his memorial service and learn more about his accomplishments, his love for his family and his service to our community.

I met Ron during my first campaign in 2009. I had many conversations with him, but never had the opportunity to serve with him. I was fortunate however, to watch him as a councilmember and benefit from his example of staying true to your values, and staying calm in times of turmoil.

Community service is truly something that a person does out of passion and caring for their community. It’s not easy to be in the public eye. The criticism, untruths and misunderstandings take a toll on a person’s soul. You have to really love your community to work so hard for people who don’t know you exist, or who use your work as an outlet for their anger through posting “anonymous” comments.

Ron never faltered in standing tall for our community, even when people didn't agree with him, and that is a quality that all of us should respect and admire.

We all learn many lessons through our life, some harder than others. I was having a conversation with a colleague at my day job last week, talking about a project that had become very difficult because of a third-party vendor. The term “lesson learned” was used, as we discussed the criteria we would use next time to hire a vendor for that particular piece of the project. The next day, that term was also used as we reflected on a different project that was going very well. Planning, implementation and the outcome had all gone smoothly, because of “lessons learned” from previous events. It can be a double-edged sword, but the goal is to never quit learning. Whether it’s a project at home or at work, I will always be working to do better.

What resonated the most for me was the summary of Ron’s life, lived with “gratitude, love and service.”  To me, that really sums up what it is all about. My appreciation also goes to his wife, Jan. It was said many times that “whenever you saw Ron, you knew Jan was close by”. One more example of true support and love.

As I think back on my past year and half as Mayor, and past six years on Council, I know that I have stayed true to my values, the ones that got me elected in 2009. Looking out for our entire community, past and present, is what drives my work and decisions.

You may have heard in the news last week about the “leaked” report on recommendations for changes in the City of Seattle’s housing density zoning. Many people are stunned and outraged by the recommendations of the committee. There is no doubt that our region is growing, we can't change that fact. We might even embrace it - knowing that we live in an area that has a healthy economy, high rate of employment, and many easy options to enjoy nature (and awesome weather, in my opinion, rain or shine).

The Seattle recommendations brought one thing to mind for me. We are doing it right in Shoreline. While some people may be leery or fearful of the housing density zoning changes made in March, I believe we did exactly the right thing. We focused those changes exactly where they should be, on a public transportation corridor (the light rail station area). The density will bring changes to that neighborhood, but they don't have to be negative changes. Higher density can mean that you have great block parties, know your neighbors and have an engaged community.

Zoning changes kept to one area also means that the rest of the single family neighborhoods will be preserved. It also means that housing will remain affordable because have a healthy stock. We need not worry about our home prices going down, because Shoreline continues to be more attractive, because we don't have our heads in the sand in denial of a changing world, but instead are being proactive in taking the right steps to plan for the future.

Enjoy the cooler weather - our sunny days will be back soon. I hope to see you around our city in the coming months, enjoying the concerts in the parks, celebrations and beautiful parks.