Letters to the editor
Published on Wed, Mar 17, 2010Read More Letters
Paving a priority
I'm glad to see that the Sequim City Council recently developed a lengthy laundry list of projects and improvements for our fair city on their retreat.
Suggestion: Before building your fine new city hall/municipal center complex, developing new parks and defining the downtown core, address the atrocious condition of city sidewalks and streets.
I have never before encountered a small town with such a dearth of decent paved, curbed streets flanked by handicapped accessible sidewalks. In the area bounded by roughly Hammond, Seventh, Fir, and Brown, so many blocks force residents to walk on narrow, rough-surfaced, pothole-strewn roads.
Given the average age of Sequimites, this should be at the top of your to-do list. If you want people to go downtown and shop locally, they need to be able to get there using their canes, walkers, wheelchairs and motorized carts. Even able-bodied people like me would prefer not to fight for walking space with passing motorized vehicles.
To truly make Sequim the Friendly City with a Small Town Heart, start with people-friendly streets and sidewalks.
Laurel Bentsen
Sequim
Americans' good fortune
Recently I saw Ken Burns' new movie series on the U.S. national parks. As one facet of all U.S citizens' evolving national heritage, the movie, in part, brought a realization of how lucky I am to be an American.
When many countries' citizens are being or have been ravaged by their own governments or by war or by other conflict, many (most?) Americans do not appreciate how fortunate they are just to live here.
Our nation has not experienced the horrors of open war since ~1883. Many Americans, however, have given their lives or have been injured in foreign wars to allow us to be safe, enjoy the fruits of our freedoms and our pursuit of happiness.
Our safety and our freedoms should not be taken for granted. They do not come to us without a very high price having been paid by many brave heroes.
I believe a good philosophy for living is: "Try to make every day a memorable day and appreciate what you have. Hard work, common sense and persistence are indispensable in achieving one's goals." Many benefits of living in America are free and they should not be overlooked. Rich or poor, we Americans are very fortunate, indeed.
Richard Hahn
Sequim
Ignore at your own risk
Since the Sequim area is populated by many senior citizens of all socioeconomic levels, it is hard to understand how the Sequim City Council can turn its back on funding for the Sequim Senior Center.
Most recently the council paid United Way an outrageous fee of $1,000 to make a recommendation on how to allocate $50,000 (less the $1,000) they had set aside
for health and human services.
As in the past, United Way recommended primarily their affiliated agencies and ignored the senior center's request for a small portion. Why not just give United Way $50,000 and let them do as they please? Handing off the responsibility for a spending decision to a biased entity is not why council members are elected.
The Sequim Senior Center is a bare-bones enterprise that operates on donated time, money and goods, and benefits many people. For some people, it is their primary social life. For some people, it is their only affordable source of activities, including exercise for better health (physical and mental).
Port Angeles Senior Center (as well as most others) has funding from the city. Why should Sequim Senior Center be an orphan? Why not just give $45,000 to United Way and the other $5,000 to the senior center ?
If you are not familiar with the center, read the newsletter at www.sequimseniorcenter.org or visit the center and pick up a copy to see the extensive reach this vital organization has into the community.
Those council members who want to be re-elected are ignoring the senior center at their own risk. There are some things we seniors remember really well.
Eleanor McIntyre
Sequim
Editor's note: We asked United Way executive director Jody Moss to respond to this letter. She says:
Port Angeles, Sequim and Clallam County governments contract with United Way of Clallam County to distribute their human services funding. The governments are not funding United Way but specific organizations chosen by each council, with United Way as fiscal and administrative agent.
Each government picks a focus and sets criteria for its funding. Any nonprofit organization that believes it fits the criteria may apply; it need not be a United Way partner agency. Requests for grant applications are published in the local newspapers and are received by United Way staff.
Volunteers on the United Way Funds Distribution Committee, including a representative from each government, review the applications and rank them according to each government's criteria. Those recommendations are presented to the governmental body for a final decision regarding funding.
United Way distributes the funds to the agencies, receives semi-annual reports on how the funds are used and reports back to each government. United Way receives 2 percent of the contract as a fee for services.
The other side of SunLand
I am writing in response to the letter in (the March 3) Gazette regarding SunLand Golf Club and the near destitute people who will lose their homes and be unable to buy food and medicine should a $300 per year "fee" be added to their homeowner's dues. It is my understanding this fee will be temporary and be used only to maintain the golf course.
I have great empathy for anyone in this position and I sincerely do not want to make their situation worse.
I wonder, though, what they will do when taxes go up, or when water and sewer costs go up, or when electricity goes up, to say nothing of food costs.
There will come a time when their home will be the asset that sees them through. When that time comes, they will want their home to be worth at least as much as it is now.
I am 98 years old and live in my own home in SunLand. I have lived here since 1974. I don't live on a fixed income but, since I require 24-hour home care, I am very careful with my expenses. I try not to spend any more than is absolutely necessary.
My 36-year-old home is located on the golf course. It is my last asset in the battle against being destitute. I am very concerned that the demise of the golf course will reduce its value greatly.
I feel that the $300 per year for a few years to protect my home value is a worthwhile price to pay. I am writing this because I think another side needs to be heard from.
Cleone B. Richards
Sequim
Angels seen in Sequim
There are angels in this world and they make their appearance when you expect it the least - which is probably when you need it the most.
I met my two angels, David and Colleen from Port Townsend, while David and I were both being treated for cancer at the Olympic Medical Cancer Center in Sequim
Because their gift to me is so breathtaking, so overwhelming, I have been at a complete loss of appropriate words to thank them for the selfless, thoughtful, generosity.
I do not know their last names or address. The best, I hope, I can do for them is to "pay it forward" and hope I am able to help and touch someone as much as they touched and helped me.
Casey J. Milstead
Sekiu
I'm glad to see that the Sequim City Council recently developed a lengthy laundry list of projects and improvements for our fair city on their retreat.
Suggestion: Before building your fine new city hall/municipal center complex, developing new parks and defining the downtown core, address the atrocious condition of city sidewalks and streets.
I have never before encountered a small town with such a dearth of decent paved, curbed streets flanked by handicapped accessible sidewalks. In the area bounded by roughly Hammond, Seventh, Fir, and Brown, so many blocks force residents to walk on narrow, rough-surfaced, pothole-strewn roads.
Given the average age of Sequimites, this should be at the top of your to-do list. If you want people to go downtown and shop locally, they need to be able to get there using their canes, walkers, wheelchairs and motorized carts. Even able-bodied people like me would prefer not to fight for walking space with passing motorized vehicles.
To truly make Sequim the Friendly City with a Small Town Heart, start with people-friendly streets and sidewalks.
Laurel Bentsen
Sequim
Americans' good fortune
Recently I saw Ken Burns' new movie series on the U.S. national parks. As one facet of all U.S citizens' evolving national heritage, the movie, in part, brought a realization of how lucky I am to be an American.
When many countries' citizens are being or have been ravaged by their own governments or by war or by other conflict, many (most?) Americans do not appreciate how fortunate they are just to live here.
Our nation has not experienced the horrors of open war since ~1883. Many Americans, however, have given their lives or have been injured in foreign wars to allow us to be safe, enjoy the fruits of our freedoms and our pursuit of happiness.
Our safety and our freedoms should not be taken for granted. They do not come to us without a very high price having been paid by many brave heroes.
I believe a good philosophy for living is: "Try to make every day a memorable day and appreciate what you have. Hard work, common sense and persistence are indispensable in achieving one's goals." Many benefits of living in America are free and they should not be overlooked. Rich or poor, we Americans are very fortunate, indeed.
Richard Hahn
Sequim
Ignore at your own risk
Since the Sequim area is populated by many senior citizens of all socioeconomic levels, it is hard to understand how the Sequim City Council can turn its back on funding for the Sequim Senior Center.
Most recently the council paid United Way an outrageous fee of $1,000 to make a recommendation on how to allocate $50,000 (less the $1,000) they had set aside
for health and human services.
As in the past, United Way recommended primarily their affiliated agencies and ignored the senior center's request for a small portion. Why not just give United Way $50,000 and let them do as they please? Handing off the responsibility for a spending decision to a biased entity is not why council members are elected.
The Sequim Senior Center is a bare-bones enterprise that operates on donated time, money and goods, and benefits many people. For some people, it is their primary social life. For some people, it is their only affordable source of activities, including exercise for better health (physical and mental).
Port Angeles Senior Center (as well as most others) has funding from the city. Why should Sequim Senior Center be an orphan? Why not just give $45,000 to United Way and the other $5,000 to the senior center ?
If you are not familiar with the center, read the newsletter at www.sequimseniorcenter.org or visit the center and pick up a copy to see the extensive reach this vital organization has into the community.
Those council members who want to be re-elected are ignoring the senior center at their own risk. There are some things we seniors remember really well.
Eleanor McIntyre
Sequim
Editor's note: We asked United Way executive director Jody Moss to respond to this letter. She says:
Port Angeles, Sequim and Clallam County governments contract with United Way of Clallam County to distribute their human services funding. The governments are not funding United Way but specific organizations chosen by each council, with United Way as fiscal and administrative agent.
Each government picks a focus and sets criteria for its funding. Any nonprofit organization that believes it fits the criteria may apply; it need not be a United Way partner agency. Requests for grant applications are published in the local newspapers and are received by United Way staff.
Volunteers on the United Way Funds Distribution Committee, including a representative from each government, review the applications and rank them according to each government's criteria. Those recommendations are presented to the governmental body for a final decision regarding funding.
United Way distributes the funds to the agencies, receives semi-annual reports on how the funds are used and reports back to each government. United Way receives 2 percent of the contract as a fee for services.
The other side of SunLand
I am writing in response to the letter in (the March 3) Gazette regarding SunLand Golf Club and the near destitute people who will lose their homes and be unable to buy food and medicine should a $300 per year "fee" be added to their homeowner's dues. It is my understanding this fee will be temporary and be used only to maintain the golf course.
I have great empathy for anyone in this position and I sincerely do not want to make their situation worse.
I wonder, though, what they will do when taxes go up, or when water and sewer costs go up, or when electricity goes up, to say nothing of food costs.
There will come a time when their home will be the asset that sees them through. When that time comes, they will want their home to be worth at least as much as it is now.
I am 98 years old and live in my own home in SunLand. I have lived here since 1974. I don't live on a fixed income but, since I require 24-hour home care, I am very careful with my expenses. I try not to spend any more than is absolutely necessary.
My 36-year-old home is located on the golf course. It is my last asset in the battle against being destitute. I am very concerned that the demise of the golf course will reduce its value greatly.
I feel that the $300 per year for a few years to protect my home value is a worthwhile price to pay. I am writing this because I think another side needs to be heard from.
Cleone B. Richards
Sequim
Angels seen in Sequim
There are angels in this world and they make their appearance when you expect it the least - which is probably when you need it the most.
I met my two angels, David and Colleen from Port Townsend, while David and I were both being treated for cancer at the Olympic Medical Cancer Center in Sequim
Because their gift to me is so breathtaking, so overwhelming, I have been at a complete loss of appropriate words to thank them for the selfless, thoughtful, generosity.
I do not know their last names or address. The best, I hope, I can do for them is to "pay it forward" and hope I am able to help and touch someone as much as they touched and helped me.
Casey J. Milstead
Sekiu
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• To submit letters, deliver to 147 W. Washington St., Sequim; mail to P.O. Box 1750, Sequim, WA 98382; fax to 360-683-6670 or e-mail news@sequimgazette.com.
Your opinions on issues of community interest and your reaction to stories and editorials contained in your Sequim Gazette are important to us and to your fellow readers. Thus our rules relating to letters submitted for publication are relatively simple.
• Letters are welcome. Letters exceeding 250 words may be shortened. We strive to publish all letters.
• Letters are subject to editing for spelling and grammar; we contact the writer when substantial changes are required, sending the letter back to the writer for revisions. Personal attacks and unsubstantiated allegations are not printed.
• All letters must have a valid signature, with a printed name, address and phone number for verification. Only the name and town/community are printed.
• Deadline for letters to appear in the next publication is noon Friday. Because of the volume of letters, not all letters are published the week they are submitted. Time-sensitive letters have a priority.
• Letters are published subject to legal limitations relating to defamation and factual representation.
• To submit letters, deliver to 147 W. Washington St., Sequim; mail to P.O. Box 1750, Sequim, WA 98382; fax to 360-683-6670 or e-mail news@sequimgazette.com.
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