Sonic booms

Two sonic booms rattled Puget Sound and gave everyone something to talk about the past week.

Even more interesting was watching the story unfold in the local media. The booms occurred seconds apart at about 1:50 p.m. Tuesday. Much like the fighter jets that scrambled to secure President Obama’s air space, news outlets scrambled to update websites with every tidbit of new information. For a while, readers needed to search multiple websites to piece together all the details.

Curious and concerned citizens across the region set the emergency phone lines abuzz as the media hunted for answers. The source of the booms was quickly identified. However, the exciting part was the uncertainty in the early moments after the booms, when the cause and location were left to the public’s imagination. In the aftermath, two conversation starters surfaced:

• The question of “Where were you when you heard the two sonic booms?”

• T-shirts that read “I felt it. Obooma! Seattle ‘10.”

I’d like to suggest two more conversation starters:

• Do you know how a sonic boom is created?

• Is the above slogan also available on boxer shorts or tighty whiteys?

Triangle project

After nearly 10 years in the planning stages, construction kicked off this month on the Interstate 5/Highway 18/Highway 161 interchange, also known as the “triangle project.” When completed, the project will increase safety for drivers and reduce congestion at one of the state’s busiest interchanges. The project is expected to bring thousands of jobs to the region.

It took a combined effort on the local, regional, state and federal levels to secure nearly $112.5 million for the project. At a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, Congressman Adam Smith and King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer both noted the triangle project’s regional impact as well as the difficulty in obtaining money for transportation projects. The Federal Way City Council and Federal Way Chamber of Commerce also played key roles in making the project a reality.

On that note, the triangle project demonstrates that Federal Way is capable of producing leadership that delivers on the big stage.

Blame game

In past primary elections, some first-time candidates have blamed their disappointing finishes on The Mirror. But the real culprit in a candidate’s loss can be seen in his own mirror.