In honor of Veteran’s Day, we spoke with area fleet director for Waste Management operations in the Pacific Northwest, Aaron Alvarado, to find out how his military experience translates to his career outside the military.
Aaron Alvarado’s approach to work is straightforward: safety and service. Alvarado learned, and lived, those principles serving with the US Marine Corps. They are the same principles that guide him in his leadership role at Waste Management.
Around this time of year, we are given the opportunity to reflect about what it means to be an American and to give thanks to those who have fought and defended our liberties. From World War II to Afghan War, there are those from our community who have given the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. Local veterans and Bothell High School alumni Jim Morrison and Parl Guthrie hope that the community will honor these heroes by donating towards the installation of the Northshore Veterans Memorial.
The Pacific Northwest has long been home to the charming oddities and eccentricities that have delivered travelers and locals alike with feelings of glee, curiosity, and wonder. The rich performing arts history of the Puget Sound region can be cataloged through the roadside attractions of the ‘60s and ‘70s to the polished performances that take place at metropolitan concert halls like McKay and Benaroya. A refined blend of the unique and elegant has just popped up their permanent shop amidst the hills and wineries of the northeast side of Lake Washington. The circus dinner company, Teatro ZinZanni, whose flair for theatrics reaches back to 1998, has a new world headquarters in Woodinville.
When early settlers landed on Alki Point in 1854, what today is Seattle was only a heavily forested tract across the bay. Cluttered by hills and hemmed in by tideflats, the land didn't suit the dwellers' purposes.
So, as the settlement grew and flourished, it was also reshaped over the next century to meet the needs of the population. Eventually, Woodinville and other Eastside communities also absorbed some of that population, but not for another 30-40 years.
The impact of those alterations is the topic when David B. Williams appeared on Saturday, October 20th at one of the free programs presented monthly by the Woodinville Heritage Society.
In altering the landscape, the early citizens regraded Denny Hill, re-engineered the tideflats, and replumbed the lakes to provide better locations for business and easier ways to move through the challenging topography of early Seattle.
Williams has researched the topic extensively. Williams is a repeat presenter, having entertained the Woodinville audience last year with his story of the Lake Washington Ship Canal dig, including its impact on Woodinville and the Sammamish valley.
Williams is a naturalist, author and educator whose award-winning book, Too High and Too Steep: Reshaping Seattle's Topography, explores the unprecedented engineering that shaped Seattle during the early part of the 20th century. He is also a curatorial associate at the Burke Museum on the University of Washington campus.
Most people pay their respects to our military veterans on Veteran’s Day with good reason…our freedom, our liberty, and for some our lives. There are a few individuals that have made it their mission to go out of their way to thank and treat veterans throughout the year. One of those people is local resident Drea Huck. She does it by sending coffee care packages from home to our troops with inspirational notes and messages. Huck currently supports eight active military personnel groups weekly.
Huck’s ties to the military are not by chance. She is from Slovakia, and her father was in the military there. Her father rose to the rank of Major although he is now retired. She said her connection to the military is “in my blood.” She described herself as a “child of the world,” and her first trip to America was with an exchange program to California over 15 years ago.
