Dear Longview,
It has been nearly 1,230 days since I was elected to Longview City Council in 2017, and about 500 days since being elected your 23rd Mayor representing our great city. I want to thank you, the citizens of Longview, for your support and for the incredible blessing and opportunity this service has been in my life so far. Getting to know the citizens and serving you has opened my eyes not only to the needs of the community, but also to the deep empathy for humanity that exists in Longview.
Being the Mayor during a world-wide pandemic hasn’t been easy; but with the early development of a robust central command center, the Cowlitz County Incident Management Team, and the excellent leadership of City Manager Kurt Sacha and Longview City Staff, all have managed to keep the city functioning well.
Stretching oneself opens up unimaginable possibilities. When our minds expand, questions and then solutions to problems emerge - and with that effort, success is possible. Working with six city councilors to make policy for our city has been invigorating and sometimes challenging - but always worth it. After I was elected Mayor by the council in January of 2020, the Daily News asked me what success looks like. I replied, “I am successful when we are all successful.” While we may not always share every point of view or value, know that council is committed to working through tough issues and recommending solutions for our city.
Over the past three and a half years, your council has worked hard to secure grants and other resources that have added to Longview’s safety and beautification. Here is a short list of some of these projects we’ve accomplished:
- The addition of a historical gazebo and interpretive panels in RA Long Park;
- Interpretive panels and sidewalks leading to the Shay Locomotive on the Library lawn;
- Upgraded streets on 15th Avenue, Nichols Blvd and soon, Oregon Way;
- Improved intersections on 7th Avenue and 3rd Avenue for pedestrian safety;
- A new 70’ ladder firetruck for our fire station;
- Additional firefighters through the SAFER grant;
- Additional police officers through the COPS grant and Bike Officer Program;
- Opening and extending the beautiful Dike path above Mint Valley Golf Course for foot travel;
- Construction of RiverCities Transit building on 12th Avenue;
- Construction of Harlie’s Hoops outdoor full-sized basketball court adjacent to Elks Memorial;
- Opening a satellite police station to be located at Archie Anderson Park in the Highlands;
- Construction of Legends Firing Range on California Way;
- Construction of the Beech Street Extension Longview Business Park on Beech Street;
- Acquiring $900,000 for upgrades to Lake Sacajawea Park.
Our community has certainly been blessed. What a pleasure to be a part of these accomplishments! I’m excited for the future as we continue to grow and “become”. Onward and upward!
Many blessings to all of you,
Mayor MaryAlice Wallis