Editor,

I am incredibly humbled and honored by the recent gift and tribute I received from many of you throughout the community, the naming of a hybrid rhododendron.

Not only is it our official state flower, but a flower with a very unique history on Whidbey Island, home to some of the most beautiful rhondodendrons.

Of all the tributes, this truly was the “Best of Whidbey,” I am overwhelmed by your generosity and touched by your gesture and you could not have found a more meaningful gift. Words are not adaquate thanks for how truly blessed I feel.

To Coupeville Mayor Nancy Conard and Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson, thank you for your friendship and organizing a wonderful reunion.

To Frank Fujioka and Meerkerk Gardens, the rhododendron you selected is beautiful and the thought you put into choosing it means a lot to me and my family.

It was a privilege serving you in Olympia, however it is a greater honor to call many of you friends.

Mary Margaret Haugen

Camano Island