At yesterday’s Roundabout ceremony, Mayor Garland French called the new no-stop intersection, new lights and sidewalks “a giant step” toward Ocean Shores’ downtown revitalization. Brian Walsh of the Dept. of Transportation gave credit to Public Works director Ken Lanfear for getting the project done, and dubbed Ocean Shores “a one roundabout town.” Sen. Jim Hargrove (pictured, above) said “this will help the flow of traffic and be safer” in “the hub of tourism in Grays Harbor County.” Lanfear made it a point to “thank local businesses for putting up with some tough times” during construction, and promised “in the long term, it will be worth it.” He also gave credit to his department, particularly Karla Roberts, the ace grant writer. Below: the group cuts the ribbon (County Commissioner Mike Wilson, French and Hargrove holding the scissors.)

With a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Roundabout scheduled for today at 3 p.m., a question remains: When did your elected officials approve an extra $350,000 of your Water, Sewer and Storm payments to go toward the Roundabout project?

At a recent City Council meeting, director of Public Works Ken Lanfear gave the latest figures: Engineering, $345,388.76. Construction, $3,163,227.64. Engineering and Construction, $3,439,030.88. (These figures were given to council members, but not provided to the public, at the April 26, 2010 meeting.) Instead of the  $538,533.41 Water, Sewer and Storm funding voted on by council in approving the package in July of 2009, Lanfear’s most recent figures show a contribution of $895,009.93, and increase of $356,476.52, or 66 percent; this, despite the abandonment of an attempt to install an 18-inch sewer line. The three local utilities also contributed $85,000 to engineering costs on the Roundabout.
The seven Ocean Shores City Council representatives were asked to comment on this, and when they approved the changes. This week’s newspaper article states: “The council representatives, who were also given follow-up phone calls, did not answer questions from this newspaper, regarding the Roundabout funding.”
That turns out to be incorrect, as John Lynn did provide an answer. (See below.)

From Public Works: We scheduled our Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for our Pt. Brown/Chance a La Mer Street Improvement Project for May 12th. We would like the opportunity to thank everyone in person for the support you provided for our City. We hope you all  can attend. The attached flyer shows the details for the event.

roundabout ribbon cutting

This just in, from the Friends of the Roundabout:

We resent the constant bashing of the Roundabout, the best thing to hit Ocean Shores since Pat Boone left town! If you can’t figure out how to use this thing, you’re a total . . .  (Ed. note: String of derogatory terms deleted). Some of our members had a tough time of it, at first, but one of them gets dizzy spells anyway. As for the new “touch,” who cares if it’s a sidewalk or a truck apron or a ring-around-the-rosey or an alien crop circle, for Pete’s sake! The whole thing is great, nobody walks anyway, and all you Negative Nancy’s can just (Ed. note: Rest of statement deleted, due to FCC regulations.) !!!

a) (smiley face)

b) (frowny face)

b) heart (old school)

d) !@%& (really old school)

rounda arrow web

(Sorry, I wasn’t able to get this and the “No left turn” sign in the same shot.)

First Prize: Ocean Shores Roundabout naming rights (unofficial).

For decades, four Stop signs bravely stood guard, silent sentries at the corner of Chance a la Mer and Pt. Brown avenues. They withstood 100 mph winds, speeding tourists, lumbering big rigs and howling city managers, all determined, but unable, to undermine their authority and bring them down.

Now, they are gone. These signs of our past have Yielded to the future.

Long live the Roundabout!

The Friends of the Library will be selling “I Survived the Roundabout” t-shirts (officially endorsed by the Friends of the Roundabout).
Tots $6; Kids & Youth $8; Adult $10; Plus sizes $12.

They will be introduced “at our Giant Half-Yearly Sale at our storage, on Saturday, 14 Nov. from 9 am to 3 pm at 764 Sea Horse Ave NE (N of Alec’s Restaurant).” Click below to see one of the designs:

i survived roundabout

Dates/times to be announced, tentatively scheduled for early December: “The Convention Center driver training instructors have a 15 minute tape on how to drive in a round about. The Lacey police and the Dept. of Trans. recently used this in Olympia to help citizens learn about how to safely negotiate this new road system. Joe Reasons and Mike Mc Camish have offered to show this to our drivers at no cost . . . “