Chelan mother, daughter thank council for Lakeside Pathway’s impact on everyday life

CHELAN — A Chelan mother and her fifth-grade daughter took the podium Tuesday night to offer something City Council does not always get in public comment. It was an unfiltered thank you from a citizen and public figure.

Erin Morin, principal at Morgen Owings Elementary, told councilmembers she and her daughter, Olivia, have been using the new Lakeside Pathway nearly every weekend since it opened. Standing beside her at the microphone, Olivia nodded along, then added her own simple version of the same message: the pathway makes it easier to get into town.

For Morin, the change is practical as much as it is heartfelt.

She said the pathway has shifted what feels safe for her family, giving her confidence that her fifth grader can bike to school this spring — and that her high schooler can bike or walk more safely, too. The ability to travel between the Lakeside neighborhood and downtown without feeling forced into traffic, she said, is the kind of everyday improvement that changes how residents live.

Councilmembers thanked the pair for coming, with Mayor Erin McCardle praising Olivia’s poise at the microphone and joking she deserved “extra bonus points” in civics class.

Morin closed by thanking the mayor and council for prioritizing local projects that make a community like Chelan feel more connected for the people who live here year-round.

“It’s a much safer way when we want to walk or bike,” she said, calling the pathway an “excellent opportunity” for families in Lakeside to connect with downtown.

The comments came as the council continued its regular business agenda, but the brief exchange stood out for its tone. It was a moment of visible gratitude for a city project framed not as a visitor amenity, but as resident infrastructure — a public investment that, in Morin’s words, helps Chelan feel more like a small town built for the people raising kids here.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media