Residents see hope in community involvement

By LISA STIFFLER
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Old-fashioned civic involvement and support of the downtown give residents hope for preservation of Burlington.

Active community groups will help save the city, says merchant Duane Stowe, adding that service clubs such as the Kiwanis, American Legion and Rotary maintain a strong presence.

Stowe loves Burlington, the birthplace of his mother as well as his grandchildren. He believes the city can keep a small-town feel with a centralized core along main street, where the post office, banks and school administration still reside.

Longtime resident Sharon Benson says she prefers patronizing local stores. "I know the people. They're all friends," says Benson, adding she likes the personal help she receives.

Benson and her husband, Jerry, run a bed-and-breakfast in a restored 1914 farmhouse on the outskirts of town. Their barn has been converted for use as a preschool. Adjacent to the farmhouse is 80 acres of land still farmed by Benson and relatives.

Jerry Benson grew up here; Sharon hails from adjacent Whatcom County. Both share memories of growing up in farm country. "It was a good, wholesome childhood," says Sharon, recalling hayrides, tractors to drive and always plenty of children -- usually relatives -- to play with.