Editor,

We are lucky we live on Whidbey. We’re surrounded by great infrastructure happening right before our eyes.

Washington State Ferries are modernizing the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal, along with a multi-modal connection for the Sound Transit Commuter Trains and Community Transit Buses. There will be overhead passenger loading/off-loading. Let’s hope they get the loud message that we also need ample parking over there!

Puget Sound Energy is completing Phase II of the new power station at SR 525 and Craw Road. To think that I may not have any power outages this winter is a marvelous thing. Every time we have a power outage, my neighborhood sounds like a race course, where someone waves the go flag, and says “Everyone, start your engines!” Generators can be pretty noisy, but I definitely would have been the next to buy one if PSE wasn’t doing such a great job investing in steady power for our community.

Our home-grown Whidbey Telecom is making a massive infrastructure investment too. This one is so invisible, you might not have see anything happening. But, wow! Something special is happening. Downtown Freeland, downtown Langley and Bayview now have the ability to connect to the fastest Internet connections in our entire state. Clinton will be soon. Really.

Soon, our residences will also have this capacity, although right now there are already six fast Internet speeds to choose from.

Commuters who travel to jobs by ferry, train, bus and/or car will be able to more easily work from home, with a faster internet speed than at their jobs. That’s a big, fat deal, one that will mean more local working people can participate in life after work on Whidbey.

Congratulations WSF, PSE and Whidbey Telecom. Thank you for investing in the infrastructures of the 21st Century!

LEANNE FINLAY

Clinton