Letters to the editor August 13, 2008A desperate situationThe Sequim Food Bank has stretched every dollar and still has to cut back drastically. Even holiday baskets may be in danger of not being filled. If everyone could send one dollar every month, to Sequim Food Bank, P.O. Box 1453, that would help a desperate situation. Fran Pollari Sequim Crematory proposal has inconsistencies I am astounded by Jason Linde and Clallam County and their efforts to locate a cadaver refrigeration unit and crematory in Carlsborg. In October 2007, technicians installing a refrigeration unit reportedly saw two cadavers in the building. At that time, Linde apparently had no current building permit, conditional use permit (CUP) or certificate of occupancy. County senior planner Steve Gray reportedly stated, “Doing this work prior to having all of the proper permits is at the very least a code violation.” Linde waited until 3/6/08 to apply for a CUP at 110 Business Park Loop, APN #043105-540010. Thus begins an abundance of apparently conflicting information. A county employee wrote on 4/16/08, ”The applicant ? is proposing to lease an existing industrial shop ? to operate a crematorium.” After almost five months’ apparent occupancy, he was now requesting a lease? Later, the address morphed into 108 Business Park Loop. Then, consider cremation. Linde “? completed a similar zoning process in Yakima County,” and has affidavits from many families who prefer having their loved ones cremated locally. I wonder what happened to his crematorium in Yakima? What about the families there, and in the other counties in which he advertises, who prefer their loved ones cremated locally? Currently, he transports cadavers to Seattle, or is it Kent? If he is allowed to cremate here, won’t he be transporting remains of loved ones from off the peninsula? Furthermore, he wants to perform cremations for 11,000 members of the People’s Memorial Association who live on the North Olympic Peninsula. However, the Association’s Paul Deischer provided figures indicating only 1,720 members live in this area. On 3/6/08, Linde submitted the required environmental checklist. He skipped sections about vegetation on site, and birds and animals observed or known to be on or near the site. He denied “any environmental health hazards, including exposure to toxic chemicals” and any “designated and informal recreational opportunities ? in the immediate area.” A county map shows our oft-used Olympic Discovery Trail bordering the Carlsborg Industrial Area. Linde’s driveway is one-tenth mile from the trail. Why was this checklist accepted with such omissions, etc.? Why didn’t the county perform greater scrutiny and return it to Linde? All this confusion, so many apparent inconsistencies — and this is only Act I of the drama — or is it a farce? Act II started with the 4/23/08 public hearing, but alas, I’m out of words. Marnee Foldoe Carlsborg More zoning questions With regard to the zoning issues related to the proposed crematory in Carlsborg, the county, thus far, has taken the position that a crematory would be appropriate as a “materials processing” facility, rather than as a service for the disposal of human remains. However, under state law, operation of any such crematory would be subject to a permit issued by the Cemetery Board and the crematory would be regulated by the Cemetery Board. (Chapter 68.05 RCW “Cemetery board”; RCW 18.39.217.) The county should question why it proposes to allow a crematory on grounds that it is more akin to “materials processing” than to a service for the disposal of human remains, where the service would be expressly permitted and regulated by the Cemetery Board under state law and where the zoning regulations for Carlsborg expressly prohibit cemeteries. Virginia P. Shogren Sequim What part of no doesn’t make sense? The objective for not having a crematory in Carlsborg is long-sighted, fact-driven and not funny at all. Air quality is one large issue, seeing as mercury does not come off of the food we cook on the barbecues or the food we buy at the local restaurants, but it can come from the cadavers that would be cremated in this controversial crematory in this low-lying area. The local restaurants and barbecues do not burn bodies. Citizens for Carlsborg is not picking on crematories in general, just the crematory trying to locate itself in Carlsborg’s light industrial park. And facts have it that crematories can cause large amounts of pollution and by saying these restaurants and barbecues omit pollutions, do you really think we want more? Some of these letters being written seem to omit one critical point: that both crematoria in Port Angeles are located within, or adjacent to, a large decades-old cemetery in what is considered to be the cemetery district of Port Angeles. Carlsborg industrial park has no cemetery and is for light industrial use only, per zoning codes of Clallam County. It appears that the dead body storage in Carlsborg operated for months without a certificate of occupancy. How do the commissioners feel about that? How about the rest of the taxpayers in Clallam County who have tried to get permits and have been turned down for small or no reason, yet here bodies were apparently stored before a certificate of occupancy was issued and the final electrical inspection of the cadaver refrigeration unit only took place last week on July 23. The board of county commissioners will be hearing both appeals against granting this conditional use permit on behalf of Brian Magner of Gabby’s Java and Citizens for Carlsborg on a date yet to be confirmed. Citizens for Carlsborg is also, in a separate action, appealing the certificate of occupancy issued by the county for the storage of dead bodies on a building permit expired in 2005. I wonder why the same codes that we all have to follow do not seem to apply to this case. Why? Tara Velarde Sequim Disc golf equals exercise As a personal trainer with a degree in exercise science, my passion lies in bettering the health of myself and our community. I think the proposed disc golf course will be an excellent addition to our area as it will be a great way to get kids and adults alike off of their duffs and into the park for some exercise! TV remote controls and video game controllers will keep your thumbs nice and shapely but it’s the rest of the body that I’m worried about. Walking trails are great for those who like walking or running, but most people, particularly kids, want something fun to do while they’re out getting their bodies moving. I want my baby daughter to grow up in a place that provides fun activities for her to get out and have some fun, while getting some fresh air and exercise at the same time. Robin Hill Park is huge and can certainly accommodate a fun activity without disturbing those who currently use it. Let’s build the disc golf course so more people can enjoy the park. Sharing is caring people! Callie Marunde Sequim Friends of Robin Hill look for alternatives At a meeting on Aug. 6, a group of Clallam County residents representing a diverse population of Robin Hill Farm County Park users and neighbors in Solmar, Lazy Acres and adjoining areas came together to form the Friends of Robin Hill. The goal of this group is to protect the existing trails and meadow in Robin Hill Farm County Park. The Friends of Robin Hill are currently involved in an effort, via letters, e-mails, petitions and personal contact, to persuade the Clallam County Parks, Fair and Facilities Department to find another site for the currently proposed disc golf course. The group believes that, while there may be room in the park for a disc golf course, the location presently proposed by the county would negatively impact the beauty of the park’s large, eastern sloping meadow, take away existing facilities from current users, and create a safety conflict between disc golfers and current users: elderly and handicapped walkers or those with dogs, cyclists, birdwatchers, equestrians and others. The Friends of Robin Hill meet biweekly. Those wishing to learn more about the group or those wishing to join are asked to contact Sharron Fogel (maggiesmom@tfon.com) or Kathy Petree (kathypetree@q.com) for more information, including meeting dates, times and locations. George Mansfield Sequim Getting the facts straight As usual, Dino Rossi can’t seem to get his facts straight. Washington state does not pay the highest gas taxes in the country. That honor goes to California. Washington ranks seventh in the country and that is mainly because we have no state income taxes and, thanks to Tim Eyman, we cannot raise license tabs. Rossi doesn’t mention where he intends to get the money to repair or replace our aging infrastructure. Dottie Nicassio Sequim Hospital levy a necessity As recently enrolled Medicare recipients, we are appalled at the low Medicare reimbursement rate for providers. Many of our wonderful providers in Clallam County, including Olympic Medical Center, agree to accept Medicare assignment, meaning that the patient is not responsible for the remaining balance. In addition, OMC is experiencing increased bad debt due to uninsured patients using the emergency room as their “free clinic.” It is no wonder that OMC is faced with having to ask to increase the rate of tax contribution to hospital revenue. We, like most people, are not big fans of increased taxes. However, the alternative is not acceptable. We want to be able to continue to access quality medical care locally. Driving to Bremerton or Seattle for procedures can be extremely costly. An overnight hospital stay means a trip of 2-3 hours in time, at least 60-70 miles of driving, possible ferry costs, and possibly an overnight stay in a hotel for the family member. We need to all work toward repair of the system that allows low reimbursements and unpaid care for some patients but in the meantime, we must ensure that our access to care is not lost or turned over to a private enterprise that can charge fees that will allow them to make a profit. That is why we are voting YES on the hospital levy and we strongly urge you to do the same. Ken and Wendy Foster Sequim There are other elk options My wife and I attended the Sequim/Dungeness elk fence meeting on July 30, 2008, at Carrie Blake Park in Sequim. We do not feel that any of (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife) currently proposed fencing options are viable, reasonable or cost effective. We enjoy seeing the elk as much as anyone in the Sequim area and we are happy to see them grazing on our grassland acreage. However, the reality is that fencing the elk to keep them primarily in the Happy Valley area is not a reasonable consideration. Our area is too urban and the elk are just naturally destructive to our property, our orchards and our gardens, as the farmers to the north of (U.S. Highway) 101 have discovered. After listening to the comments and suggestions generated by the meeting on July 30, it appears that there is almost unanimous public support for a fence around the commercial growers so that citizens on both the north and south side of 101 can share the elk. We suggest a study of the option to use state fence monies to build your elk fence around the commercial growers’ properties. We feel we can ensure full public support for this option. Roger and Tracy Blume Sequim Support Hugh Haffner for PUD commissioner This letter is written to support the re-election of Mr. Hugh Haffner as PUD commissioner from District 2. I have known Hugh for over 15 years. He and I have worked together in a particular area of the law for a number of years. I have always found him to be helpful and extremely competent in this area of the law. I am supporting Mr. Haffner because of his experience. Hugh has 14 years as a PUD commissioner in Clallam County. In addition to his duties as commissioner, he has also served our community in the following capacities: •10 years on the Clallam County Economic Development Council Board •Agricultural Preservation Committee member •Parks Commission board member •President of the Purms PUD Insurance Fund •Olympic Theatre Group board member At a time when both the country and Washington State Public Utility Districts are seeking alternative energy resources, Mr. Haffner is the most qualified candidate to continue as a PUD commissioner. In addition to his qualifications, he has the vision for the PUD to: •Protect our rights to Bonneville low cost power •Work to encourage local renewable resources •Ensure economical and reliable energy •Make sure the $13 million Bonneville overcharge is refunded to the ratepayers. Finally, Hugh served as an accountant/auditor for a utilities commission in the state of Arizona. With his background as a CPA, he is well qualified to understand the “financial” aspects of the role of commissioner. Therefore, I am urging you to support the re-election of Hugh Haffner. Ronald P. Bell Sequim Good job, good Samaritans On Aug. 7, a resident from our apartment fell on the sidewalk at Sunnyside and Prairie. A driver who saw her stopped to give her aid and called 9-1-1. Had it not been for his help, she might have lain there unconscious and unnoticed because it was at the dinner hour and everyone was inside. After the medics arrived, this good Samaritan left without us knowing who he was. I would like to thank him for my friend and neighbor. And also a big “thank you” to the wonderful paramedics who attended her. Luella Hilby Sequim |
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