Recently, as I was leaving our beautiful new Kenmore Library with books I had ordered online, I looked out over Kenmore and remembered clearly the hopes and dreams my late husband, Jack Crawford, had for the city he loved when he became Kenmore’s first mayor in 1998.

So much has been accomplished in the 13 years we have been a city — the library, the post office, our new debt free City Hall and plaza (finished on time and under budget), a new fire station, sidewalks and landscaping, as well as new lighting and safety improvements to Bothell Way through Kenmore. We have many beautiful, updated parks, including a skateboard park for our kids, and excellent schools, too.

There are sidewalks, new lighting and landscaping in our downtown area — just waiting for the day when Kenmore Village by the Lake becomes a hub of restaurants, shops and stores of all sizes — a true city center where we can eat, shop, meet friends and neighbors and welcome visitors. In this difficult economy, this is taking longer than we had hoped — but I know it will happen. I trust our leaders. We also have wonderful community groups that help our city in many ways and encourage progress.

Our Kenmore City Council has shown great wisdom and leadership in planning the growth of our city. We owe them our deepest gratitude for their hard work over the past 13 years to make our beloved Kenmore a growing city we can be proud of. It is still true that “In Kenmore, Courtesy Is Contagious.” Jack loved this city and its people, and I can almost see him smiling as he looks down on all the progress and growth that have already taken place.

Kenmore has received recognition for its progress. Family Circle magazine named Kenmore as one of the 10 best towns and cities across the country for families. In 2009, Seattle Magazine put Kenmore as No. 1 on its list of “Best Neighborhoods.” We were also recognized by KaBoom as one of 151 “Playful City USA” communities.

I am so proud to be a 42-year resident of Kenmore. I still grow almost 100 dahlia plants (the dahlia is the city flower), and I fly a Kenmore flag on my front lawn. I, too, love Kenmore and its people, and I look forward to watching its continued growth.

Char Crawford