I’m writing this letter because I’ve learned that the city is buying this year’s hanging flower baskets, which hang in town throughout downtown during spring and summer, from an outside vendor.

GE&B Nursery, which is a local vendor, has provided these baskets for the past 30 years. This year they were not even asked to bid on the petunia baskets the city wants to hang downtown.

I have lived and worked in this town for 50 years. Seeing all the businesses closing in town is heart-breaking and for city fathers to buy from outside vendors and not even include a town business in the bidding process is indefensible.

Gary and Ellen Horton have always been so very generous to different organizations in this community when asked for donations to help with fundraisers. I know this first hand, because I’m the president of the Enumclaw Guild for Seattle Children’s Hospital. They have generously provided our guild with two of their beautiful hanging baskets and a gift certificate for our annual spring luncheon and raffle. With this generosity our guild is able to send our proceeds to the Children’s Hospital uncompensated care program. This program helps families whom are unable to pay for all the care their child receives. Therefore, buying from local businesses helps our community.

Hopefully GE&B Nursery will be considered next year.

Sandra Stergion

Enumclaw