Journal letters to the editor

Ask Congress members to meet with veterans

Washington state has nine congressmen and women. Do you know which one is yours?

There is Jay Inslee of the 1st District, Rick Larsen of the 2nd District, Brian Baird of the 3rd District, Doc Hastings of the 4th District, George Nethercutt of the 5th District, Norm Dicks of the 6th District, Jim McDermott of the 7th District, Jennifer Dunn of the 8th District, and Adam Smith of the 9th District.

Of all of these professional politicians, there is not one that works on behalf of the veteran. The only one that cared for the veterans and held meetings drawing veterans from all over the state was Randy Tate and we no longer have him.

This is unfortunate. Veterans, unite and write your Congressperson and tell them they need to hold meetings and hear from you. It would seem to be our responsibility to teach these people what America is all about.

Grace Hofer

Support the M&O levy on the March 12 ballot

Please support our school maintenance and operations levy.

I am so proud of our San Juan Island School District. Our schools are well represented by outstanding students, teachers, administrators, school board members, and sound fiscal management.

The school levy is not a new tax; it continues an existing tax that provides essential full funding for our beautiful schools and the excellent academic environment they house. In fact, the levy for the next four years would be lower than the past four years.

While my husband and I have no children, we are committed to the youth of our community, just as our parents and grandparents were committed to us.

Our youth represent our future; let’s not short change their education.

Schools are the heart of our community. Please join me in lending your whole-hearted support for our San Juan Island schools! Vote “yes,” by mail, by March 12!

Darcie L. Nielsen, San Juan Island

Some humor to help you get by

In a county such as this, one has to find humor to survive:

“The Deputy Auditor at the counter is fake;

The next day the whole office they make.

Seven days includes Sunday, but not with six, is the rule.

With yourself as a client, you are just a fool.

An attorney will charge a thousand dollars for three pages.

Five hundred dollars is fair for a man with no wages.

Your water is poisoned, but be glad for the job:

To watch over a neighbor’s rental that is in your backyard.

Profits and greed become transient heaven

And still no one’s learned from nine slash eleven.”

Dylan Stephens, Friday Harbor

Opposes contract with Waste Management

To all residents of San Juan County:

Would every citizen of San Juan County please sign all the checks in your checkbook and mail them to us? We will tell you who we will give them to, and what amounts will be filled in on them when a large corporation with a history of convictions for customer abuse (and was named as an organized crime operation by the San Diego Prosecutor’s Office) lets us know how much they want.

Does this sound like a ridiculous request? Well, this is exactly what your county commissioners are asking you to do. They, along with Public Works Director Tom Huse and Solid Waste Manager Jon Shannon, have been negotiating with a waste handling company to take over handling recyclable materials produced in this county.

When asked, they have been unable or unwilling to answer questions such as, “What is the length of the proposed contract?” “What are the mechanisms controlling cost increase?” “What controls and oversight will be in place to ensure compliance with this contract?” “ What are the remedies available if we are dissatisfied and wish to terminate this contract?” “How much will it cost to rebuild our current facilities to change over to a completely different method of recycling?”

If you feel you would like any of these questions answered before you sign all of those blank checks and mail them to Waste Management Inc. please write, call, e-mail, or talk in person to Darcie Nielsen, John Evans and Rhea Miller and ask them why they have refused to hold public hearings prior to signing away our money.

Michael McBrayer, Lopez Island

Gravel pit project is wasteful spending

There is serious concern that, for the benefit of mostly non-taxpaying visitors, our tax money is being proposed for a new park, barge dock and playground.

The “pit” is not zoned for such a project and to use money that is badly needed in other areas is simply irresponsible.

The county says the recent tax referendums broke the transportation budget’s back and they cannot find money for road repairs, let alone Cattle Point Road that is falling into the sea and will leave well over a hundred families stranded. However, when it comes to a county park, no problem to donate what little money we have to this new project.

Interesting, when the government couldn’t exist or get money passed through Congress a couple of years ago, the first to be cut was the National Park Service. Closed. Seems even our federal government realizes priorities in time of tight budgets.

Recall all the signs in our local store windows over the holidays? “Buy local,” “Support your local merchants.” Nice to know our loyal commissioners want to build a barge dock to accommodate an out-of-the-country barged-in gravel business.

The ferries have raised their tolls; we’ve not enough money to rebuild or repair our roads, but we’ll donate what little we have to the Bottomless Pit park project. What next? How about an RV park there too, and we can further accommodate visitors (and the homeless) while the locals pay to barge all the garbage off the island?

A park needs water, sewer, maintenance and upkeep — all expensive and ongoing. Why do you think all these tax cut initiatives have been voted in? We’re tired of you spending our money frivolously.

If I voted for any of you commissioners before, believe me, it was the last time ... and, I might add, I’m not alone.

David and Penelope Woodall, Friday Harbor

Residents raise money for breast cancer treatment

The Wild Rose Quilters wish to thank all those who supported our Healing Garden Quilt fund-raiser for breast cancer research and assistance to island women undergoing breast cancer treatments off-island. 

The winner of the quilt was Pearl Grohe of Bellevue, who purchased her ticket at the Summer Arts Fair last year. When informed she had won, she said “but I never win anything!” 

We would like to thank the following businesses and organizations for allowing us to sell tickets at their stores or events:  Friday Harbor Marketplace, King’s Grocery, King’s Variety, Friday Harbor Drugs, the Summer Arts Fair, the Friday Harbor Historical Society July 4th Picnic, the San Juan County Fair, and the Island Artisans Craft Fair. 

We would also like to thank Poppies Fabrics and Rainbow Services of Eastsound and the Quilt Shop in Anacortes for setting out a can with self-serve tickets (both Poppies and the Quilt Shop displayed the quilt) to help in our efforts. 

I would like to thank the many women who volunteered their funds and time to make the quilt: Liz Pillow, Wiloma Harrell, Marie Johansen, Margaret Johnson, Kris Dixon, Cookie Gossom, Snooky Tarte, Jan Landahl,

Krispi Staude, Barb VandeWetering, Linda Brown, Bonnie Potter, Trish Lehman, Linda Cooper, Janet Wright, Sue Davis, Joyce Stanton, Lunnette Higdon-Hertel, Marty Moorehead, Mary Zeretzke, Kathy Johnson, Janet Chamberlain, Sarah Smith, Dot Merlino, Judy Cumming, Christy Hinkle and Keri Stone (of Island Quilting Service in Eastsound, who did a fabulous quilting job).

I would also like to thank the folks involved with the San Juan Island Breast Cancer Walk who found a way to make locally raised funds help island women suffering from breast cancer  through a fund at the Susan G. Komen foundation which will assist island women needing transportation to and from off-island breast cancer treatments.

We raised $2,613 in total thanks to the generous contributions of islanders and visitors.  We donated $500 to the Swedish Hospital Cancer Institute for a research trial on preventing breast cancer. The remaining $2,113 was donated to the Susan G. Komen fund to benefit island women. 

Several of the women who participated in making this raffle quilt also made smaller quilts for themselves using the same line of fabrics (the purchase of which also benefits breast cancer research); these quilts are on display at the quilt show hanging at the San Juan Community Theatre through the end of February. 

Sarah Smith, San Juan Island

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The Journal welcomes public comment on issues of local interest.

Letters to the editor must be no more than 300 words in length, and must be signed by the writer. Include address and telephone number for verification purposes. Anonymous letters will not be published.

Send letters to Editor, Journal, P.O. Box 519, Friday Harbor 98250. Or send by email.

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