It seems that certain Kirkland City Council candidates have turned this election into its all too common accusation-filled flurry of misinformation. It is easy to imply that their opponents who have a vision for what our city could be, will turn it into some high-rise filled urban center. Voters should remember that when one talks of downtown revitalization it need not mean Big Box Bellevue. Consider the amazing vitality of Walla Walla and Yakima, both energized wine country towns or even our neighbor to the south, Renton, a town that really did go ahead of the curve and has turned itself into a thriving town filled with new businesses and new residents. None of these three cities ever turned to high rise development to turn themselves around.

Jackie Smith, Kirkland