Having made our home at our present address for 42 years, we have given much through to the matter of annexation choices being considered for the North Highline area.

We have seen many changes in our immediate neighborhood over the years, as well as the changes that have occurred in the larger community.

In our opinion it is the building and maintaining of community that we believe is of primary importance to the well being of current and future residents.

It is clear from the painful evidence being played out around the world that the infrastructure of community is not created simply by drawing boundaries on a map.

Certainly geography does play a role, and in our case we believe our natural boundary to be that of the Duwamish River. Most of our everyday lives is lived south of the Duwamish as we shop for groceries, gas our car, and seek various services within the Burien/White Center area.

It is also our opinion that one group is not made safe by trying to "circle the wagons" in order to exclude another. The richness of diversity is an essential strength of a community.

We enrich our lives by participating in nearby libraries or community centers, or by buying locally grown produce or sharing festivals. These kinds of activities draw us together in a shared sense of common good.

We feel that the energetic diversity of the White Center area would be an asset in a greater Burien.

In our opinion, annexation to Burien of the entire unincorporated area under consideration would provide the social structure for a great and growing community, with the resources to build its unique identity and answer the needs of its citizens.

We are already bound together by our schools, libraries, churches, and social organizations. We now need a municipal government that will be locally accessible and responsible for future generations.

Phillip and Rachael Levine

North Highline