I spent Memorial Day collecting  flowers and visiting my family’s graves — it is very comforting to remember them. I even try to remember the good and the hard times because I think it becomes useful to me. When I remember a living person, I think it is also useful to them too.

We in the heritage and historic preservation community have a success to Remember. In the last hours of the Special Legislative Session our bacon was pulled from the fire when 4Culture finally received the long-term funding we have all worked to secure for so many, many years. I remember all the calls, e-mails, visits and testimony we all expended in preserving funding for heritage, historic preservation and the arts. I cannot say THANK YOU enough for those who took the time to invest in our cultural future.

I will never forget the unending support of Senator Ed Murray and Representative Ross Hunter, while also shepherding very difficult budgets, they took the time to remember us and worked tirelessly to secure and preserve our existing share of the current Lodging Tax. My hat is off to Ed, Ross and the many other members of our legislature that supported heritage, historic preservation and the arts. Thank You!

We also had the support of Dow Constantine, Larry Phillips and the entire County Council. We were a priority for King County in these difficult financial times. We know they had many other important issues at the Legislature, but again, we were remembered. Thank You!

Now for the Not Forgetting side. I live in the 5th District and my representative Glenn Anderson supported us, while Representative Jay Rodne and Senator Cheryl Pflug did not. Mark Hargrove of the 47th, Bruce Dammeier of the 25th, and the entire delegations of the 31st and 39th districts and voted Nay. I know there are many issues that each member of the Legislature faces, but not supporting a program that so clearly makes a difference in our communities and helps support the green, clean industry of tourism makes no sense to me. So I would ask you to check the voting record of your members and please thank our supporters and please contact those who did not support us. You might tell them that you are disappointed and that as a voter you remember.