Poulsbo has long had the nickname of Little Norway because of the original settlers’ ties to the old country and the fishing industry we once knew. The downtown, thankfully, still retains a little “village flavor” that makes any visit downtown a pleasant experience. But then, now that the new city hall is taking shape — a shape that does not resemble anything Norwegian — we are entering a new era. The city hall resembles something that might be seen in Bellevue. So perhaps we should call ourselves “Little Bellevue.”

Perhaps, though, just for nostalgia, we should do a little favor for the old-time residents who live uphill from the city hall and whose longtime bucolic view of western Washington and the Olympics has been superseded by concrete walls interspersed with big windows. City employees can be seen toiling in a peaceful office environment full of papers, desks, chairs, fax machines and computers, all overshadowed by a three-story empty space that appears to be an atrium of sorts, filled with air (nice, efficient use of space). It’s capped with a majestic galvanized roof to glisten in the afternoon sun,and reflect the current emphasis on modern design.

We spend thousands for art and sculptures and stones and other adornments for our town. Perhaps we could spend a little more and contract an artist (only local artists should be allowed ) to paint the entire uphill side of city hall with a mural portraying a mountain scene to replace the view the uphill residents have lost.

R. Rand Hillier

Poulsbo