Tag Archives: Cashmere

Hawkins’ sixth annual ‘listening tour’ begins in Chelan County Sept. 13-16

State senator offers district residents choice of meeting in person, via Zoom or by phone

Sen. Brad Hawkins will soon hold his sixth annual 12th District “listening tour,” starting with visits to several Chelan County communities for meetings in mid-September.

“As the state senator for the 12th District, it is very helpful for me to hear directly from constituents, which is why I started conducting annual listening tours,” said Hawkins. “After meeting primarily via Zoom the past two years because of the pandemic, I’m pleased to resume in-person meetings for those wishing to meet face to face, although we will also make Zoom or phone meetings available.”

This year’s listening tour will be split between the traditional areas of the 12th District and the new western areas of the district resulting from the recent redrawing of the state’s legislative district boundaries.

Hawkins begins his listening tour on Sept. 13 with stops in Cashmere and Leavenworth, followed by meetings in Wenatchee on Sept. 14-15 before concluding the Chelan County part of the tour with appointments in Chelan on Sept. 16. The meetings will be scheduled approximately 20 minutes apart to accommodate as many groups as possible. The first meeting each day will begin at 8 a.m. and the last will end at 5 p.m.

During past listening tours, meetings included businesses, local governments, and community groups.

All meetings are by appointment. Those interested in meeting with Hawkins should contact his office at brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov or 360-688-8951. Hawkins’ staff will provide the necessary technical details to constituents who prefer to meet via Zoom or by phone.

Hawkins said his annual listening tour allows him to hear ideas and concerns that can be turned into successful legislative action.

“Leavenworth officials told me in 2017 about an issue about disposing of brush and yard clippings and worked with me to enact a new law in 2018 to address it,” said Hawkins. “A funding request related to the Saddle Rock trail in Wenatchee became reality when it was included in the state capital budget four years ago, and a road paving project to a popular fishing location in Okanogan County was recently funded. Last year, a Methow Valley biochar demonstration project was funded for forest management purposes along with funding for renovations at the city of Wenatchee’s Community Center utilized by Pinnacles Prep School. All of them were ideas discussed with constituents during past listening tours.”

As in the past five years, Hawkins has invited legislative staff to join him on this year’s tour, including his office staff, communications staff and issue specialists. “People appreciated us making these resources available to their communities, and it’s good for our staff to hear directly from people about the issues of interest in our region,” said Hawkins. “If we need to research concerns or begin developing ideas, we are ready to do that.”

The remaining leg of the listening tour will take place Nov. 14–18 in the parts of the 12th District now in King and Snohomish counties.

PHOTO CAPTION: The first stop on Sen. Hawkins’ 2018 listening tour took him to the city of Leavenworth to meet with the City Council. His Senate Bill 6055 was signed by the governor in 2018 to assist the city in disposing of its brush and yard waste. Smiling in this photo is the late councilmember Carolyn Wilson (light-colored shirt), who sadly passed away last month.

Hawkins proposes Highway 2 traffic flow and safety bill

In an effort to improve traffic flow and safety along U.S. Highway 2 between Wenatchee and Monroe, 12th District Sen. Brad Hawkins has introduced a measure to identify improvements for preservation, maintenance, and new projects for the curvy and congested highway.

Hawkins, a member of the Senate’s Transportation Committee, has proposed the bill with his colleague, Sen. Keith Wagoner of the 39th District. The two senators serve neighboring legislative districts now but are expected to share communities along Highway 2 in the coming year following the completion of the state’s redistricting process.

“Communities along the corridor have expressed growing concerns about safety and traffic flow,” Hawkins said. “Everyone knows Highway 2 is dangerous and congested, so let’s hear from the communities, assemble the information we have, and identify needed improvements.”

Hawkins’ proposal, Senate Bill 5603, calls for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to conduct public outreach with communities along the highway, including public meetings involving Wenatchee, Cashmere, Leavenworth, Skykomish, Index, Gold Bar, Sultan, and Monroe. The bill also calls for WSDOT to report to the Legislature by Dec. 1, 2022, with a summary of existing analysis along the corridor and recommended investments.

The timing of WSDOT’s report to the Legislature’s transportation committees is critical, Hawkins says, because he believes the Legislature will consider the next large-scale transportation package one year from now during the 2023 session.

For Hawkins, projects like Wenatchee’s Confluence Parkway – the proposed second bridge across the Wenatchee River – will continue to be a high priority while also supporting the needs of other communities, like those along Highway 2 and other areas in his district. Hawkins said he is thankful that the Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council completed a US 2 Upper Wenatchee Valley corridor study in April 2020 for a portion of the highway, identifying potential improvements near Leavenworth.

Hawkins has prefiled the bill for consideration in the 2022 legislative session, which starts Jan. 10.

2017 listening tour meeting.

Hawkins to hold second annual ‘listening tour’ in mid-September

Sen. Brad Hawkins has announced the times and locations for his 12th District “listening tour” in mid-September. Similar to his listening tour last fall, Hawkins will visit all four counties in the legislative district with his legislative staff. His tour this year will include some of the same stops as last year, such as Leavenworth, Wenatchee, and Chelan along with a mix of new locations, including Cashmere, Coulee City, Soap Lake, Waterville, Bridgeport, and Twisp.

“The listening tour idea was something I attempted last year to be creative and people responded very positively,” Hawkins said. “It’s very helpful for me to hear directly from the people I serve.” He noted some of the ideas brought to him last year resulted in legislative action, including an idea from Leavenworth officials to dispose of brush and yard clippings, a funding request related to the Saddle Rock trail system, and other legislative suggestions.

Meetings will be available by appointment and likely include visits with individuals, employers, local governments, and community groups. He noted the 12th District’s location in north central Washington can make it challenging for people to reach the Capitol in Olympia during a legislative session. “Being accessible and being a good listener are two things I take great pride in,” said Hawkins. “I don’t want people to feel that they need to travel all the way over to Olympia in the middle of winter just to share their thoughts with me on issues.”

Like last year, Hawkins has invited legislative staff to accompany him on the tour, including his office aides and issue specialists. “People appreciated us making these resources available to their communities, and it’s good for the staff to hear directly from people about the issues of interest in our region,” said Hawkins. “If we need to research concerns or begin developing ideas, we are ready to do that.”

Hawkins will meet by appointment at public locations in Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan counties and asks that people e-mail brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov or phone his legislative office in Olympia at 360-786-7622 to schedule an appointment. The community stops are not town hall meetings. Because there may not be time available for day-of, unscheduled visits, people are asked to contact Hawkins’ office in advance for an appointment. The listening tour locations and appointment time blocks are:

Tuesday, Sept. 11

Leavenworth: Leavenworth City Hall (700 Highway 2), 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Cashmere: Attending September 11th Memorial Service 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Wenatchee: Confluence Technology Center (285 Technology Center Way), 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 12

Chelan: Chelan City Hall (135 E. Johnson), 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Coulee City: Coulee City Fire Station meeting room (401 W. Main St.), 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Soap Lake: Soap Lake City Hall (239 2nd Ave. SE), 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 13

Waterville: Douglas County Courthouse (213 S. Rainier St.), 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Bridgeport: Bridgeport City Hall (1206 Columbia Ave.), 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Twisp: TwispWorks Executive Board Room (502 S. Glover St.), 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 14

Winthrop: Community Hike up Patterson Mountain, 10 a.m.

Hawkins will conclude his district tour Sept. 14 by leading a community hike on Patterson Mountain near Winthrop, starting at 10 a.m. The Patterson Mountain trail, which is near Sun Mountain Lodge, offers sweeping views of the Methow Valley from Twisp to Mazama. Everyone is invited to participate on the hike and no appointment or RSVP is needed. Those participating in the hike are encouraged to bring sunscreen and water.

(Directions to reach the Patterson Mountain trailhead: If you are traveling west on Highway 20 toward Winthrop, turn left onto Twin Lakes Road and follow it for 3.1 miles. Turn right on Patterson Lake Road and follow it for 4.0 miles. The trailhead parking lot is on the left. A Discover Pass is needed to park in the trailhead lot. Vehicles can be parked on the road shoulder without needing a Discover Pass.)

“We concluded last year’s listening tour with a community hike up Saddle Rock and this year we’ve planned something similar in the Methow Valley,” said Hawkins. “The 12th District is beautiful and known for its outdoor recreation, so it’s fun to experience that together and connect with people in a different way.”

West Cashmere Bridge awarded key state grant

State Sen. Brad Hawkins says he is thrilled that the Washington State Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board (FMSIB) has awarded Chelan County a $3 million grant toward its efforts to complete the West Cashmere Bridge Replacement Project.

The project has now received local, state, and federal appropriations and funding awards of $23 million. Replacing the 86-year-old bridge, which carries Goodwin Road over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line and the Wenatchee River west of Cashmere, is expected to cost between $23 million and $25 million.

The project has long been a high priority with local officials, who worry the U.S. 2/West Cashmere Bridge may fail to the point of closure within a few years. Weight restrictions placed on the bridge for safety reasons already force heavy trucks to move through downtown Cashmere – including hundreds of trucks each week associated with Crunch Pak, the packaged-fruit company that is the city’s largest employer.

“This is a huge win for Chelan County and the Cashmere community. I am very thankful to FMSIB for recognizing the need for this project and to the many people who have helped make this opportunity successful,” says Hawkins, the 12th District senator who was a part of efforts in 2017 to build momentum for the bridge replacement.

A 2017 meeting between “bridge ambassadors” from Cashmere and Chelan County and Senator Curtis King of Yakima (right), then-chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, was key to securing support for the US 2/West Cashmere Bridge replacement.

Hawkins credited a meeting between local ambassadors and the Senate and House transportation committee chairs in 2017 as the key to securing a $2 million transportation budget appropriation, outside of a gas-tax package, in the 2017-19 transportation budget.

That local contingent, comprising representatives from Chelan County, city of Cashmere, Cashmere School District, Port of Chelan County, Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council and Crunch Pak, had joined Hawkins at the Capitol to make the case for additional state funding.

The FMSIB, funded through the state transportation budget, awards grants to assist with freight mobility and lessen the movement of freight in communities.

“In the process of advocating for the $2 million funding in 2017, the Senate Transportation Committee chair directed our group to the FMSIB process. I was optimistic about the possibilities and am very thankful the county pursued it wholeheartedly. Congratulations to them. No doubt, this is awesome news,” said Hawkins.