Letters to the Editor — Sequim Gazette, Aug. 31, 2016

Published 1:31 am Wednesday, August 31, 2016

What’s wrong with these pictures?

1) Washington State cannot afford to adequately fund its public schools to provide academic and vocational education for all students but each of the state’s 885 public high schools in 295 school districts can afford to sponsor 14 very costly interscholastic sports for a relatively few select athletes. Question: Might our state’s education priorities be incorrect?

2) The Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center (SARC) squandered a 2008 $800,000 surplus and was forced to cease operations in 2015 for lack of funding. Even though taxpayers voted to reject at least two proposed SARC tax levies in 2015, county commissioners gave SARC YMCA $731,000 of taxpayer money from a County Opportunity Fund to support reopening SARC in 2016 to be managed and operated by the Port Angeles YMCA. However, the SARC board continues to exist. Question: Why is the SARC board still needed?

3) Our state Senator Jim Hargrove announced his retirement in spring 2016. According to the Sequim Gazette, his claim to fame in 20-plus years as a legislator was fighting crime and helping the Washington timber industry. Now state Rep. Van De Wege wants to replace Hargrove. What has Van De Wege done as a legislator and minority whip to merit such a promotion? In his last legislative report, he did not even mention education, even though he and the entire Legislature are still in contempt of the Washington Supreme Court. Questions: Why should voters promote anyone who cannot honor his sworn oath of office? And, do we need new legislators?

Dick Hahn

Sequim

VA experience a contrast to bad press

I recently took a long-time friend to the VA hospital in Seattle. After all the bad press that VA hospitals have gotten over the years, I was surprised at what I found.

Parking was handled quickly by the valet parking staff — free. Soon after entering, a helper noticed our confusion and guided us to the appropriate elevators. The reception staff were helping other veterans and while we were in line, an RN directed us to consoles to check in electronically — totally upscale. One staffer was on break but took a second to help check in my friend and then a nurse led him to a room to take his vitals, all within five minutes.

Twenty minutes later he was seeing a doctor.

I was in a waiting room for 60 minutes and observed many things: The reception staff and nurses were courteous and upbeat. One staffer took call after call, responding, “Yes sir” or “yes ma’am.” “Can you repeat that?” “Call this number.” “Please call back when you have this information and ask for me.”

Nurses were interacting with not patients, but veterans. One interjected light humor at just the right time to relax one veteran, but not to minimize the veteran’s condition or the pain. When another veteran seemed confused, the staff walked them to where they should go. It was their turn to serve the veteran and I was impressed.

About one-fifth of veterans were accompanied by non-family friends or neighbors and while waiting, I saw them get help for other veterans having difficulties. The helping from the staff was contagious.

I observed the veterans in wheelchairs, on crutches or who were self-powered, both limping and walking upright. They were older and younger, from different ethnic backgrounds and they varied in their physique, but they were all Americans who served their country.

My glimpse in the hospital was only for a few hours, but I was proud of the way these veterans were being honored.

As I was leaving, I passed the “Patient Advocate” office and I thought to myself, “No, that’s not totally true.” I felt that the patient advocates were everywhere I went and actually were better described as “Veteran Advocates!”

Vernon L. Frykholm Jr.

Sequim

Relief for the ‘Old Guys’

This letter is for the 60- to 70-year-Old Guys out there (OGs). As an OG myself who has recently been thru hell for about three months, I’m writing to you of the unending, ever-increasing pain associated with almost every physical activity. If you’re not in this boat, good for you and move along.

Anyway, after dealing with the moderately uncomfortable muscle/joint pain which I thought was the result of stripping, sanding and hand brushing my 1600-square-foot deck on my hands and knees for a few weeks, but which never seemed to get any better, I scheduled a week in the Canadian Rockies soaking in one hot spring after another … to no avail. Next came intensive chiropractic; again, no dice. Then, massage. No lasting difference at all.

Finally, and now in such agony I was sleeping (if you can call it that) out in the fifth wheel to keep my constant hollering in pain in my sleep from waking my dear wife, I made an appointment with the doctor at the Jamestown Clinic, took a blood test or 12: lo and behold, a diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica. It’s a rheumatic disease striking OGs where joints, muscles and everything in between gets increasingly inflamed and painful — to the point that I asked my daughter to help me get out of a low chair, and had to hire a guy to rake my new mown grass.

It appears, at least in my case, to be related to a long endured “Leaky Gut,” which, to make a long story short, you should Google for yourself. So, a short course of corticosteroid and instant relief!

The message is, be a tough guy like we think we still are and suffer in ignorance as long as you can stand it, then go get some help and feel 50 or even 40 again.

Pat Clark

Sequim

Be considerate in allowing access

Today I was at the library. I went to browse the large print books section, I found it quite crowded with tables, chairs and a wooden couch, barely a couple of feet from the bookshelves.

I happened to be in an electric wheelchair; boy did I have a heck of a time getting in and out of that section today. Thank you to a lady that actually dragged the couch out of my way.

I know the library is very small, but please keep in mind when placing the furniture around, that a wheelchair user can have adequate access.

Tribbey Strehle

Sequim