Editor’s note: Sequim High School’s Rachael DeAngelo, who teaches Spanish and English, gave her students an assignment to write and submit a Letter to the Editor to the Sequim Gazette on a topic that is important to them. We are happy to publish the students’ letters in this issue and over the coming weeks.

____________

Too much construction

After reading the letter “Keep our Roadways Safe” I felt obligated to speak on the road safety of my own town.

In my small town we have lots of construction that goes into our town at once. They change up the roads until they are finished with fixing it up such as making new lanes with cones and closing off roads. The amount of construction makes me worried for some of my neighbors and my safety.

As a new driver who is on the roads a lot to go to school, appointments, work, and even just to go and hang out with friends, when I drive and constantly must worry about the new construction that happens it makes me scared that I or someone else driving on the opposite side will lose control or not know that there are changes in the road.

Statistics from 2022 show that 30.2% of fatal car crashes happen in a work zone and as early as 2021, 33.5% take place in work zones. That is a high percentage of fatal car crashes caused by construction and work zones. It worries me to know those statistics and still must drive through many work zones to get to my everyday locations.

Many may think the construction is good and while it is, I think we should dial down the amount of construction they do all at once for the safety of our town, especially one as small as mine.

Nevaeh Nelson

Little to do

In this letter I will be talking about there not being enough family-based activities in Sequim and why Sequim should be a family-friendly town and should have more family-based activities. Wouldn’t you think that Sequim would be more of a fun town for kids 18 and under if there were more fun activities to do?

As a 16-year-old who is affected by this it’s hard for me and my family to find anything within 30 minutes up to 3 hours that isn’t too expensive and bank breaking.

The only “fun thing to do” is going to Carrie Blake Park and spending like 10 minutes there and you’re bored. The only fun thing to do that lasts like 2 hours then you’re bored is going and walking to the very few stores that we have in Sequim.

Sixty-eight percent of Sequim’s population is 50-plus and the other 32% is people 49 and younger and most of those people have kids that need something to do other than sitting inside and doing nothing. Sometimes kids need to go outside and go do something fun with their friends but there is nothing fun to do in Sequim without having to drive 30-plus minutes to find anything.

I’m going to end with saying that Sequim needs more family-based activities to do other than sitting inside or being bored inside.

Tyler Offe

Gender neutral bathrooms

We need gender neutral bathrooms now!

As a trans person who has been using public restrooms for years, they are not a safe and comfortable environment.

I have been harassed in multiple bathrooms before, scared that it would get violent.

Even being in a stall when they don’t know who is in there, some boys are reckless and inconsiderate of others. Yelling and making noises, shaking and kicking the stall doors while someone is in there, and standing on the toilet to look over into the stall next to them. It’s extremely inappropriate and terrifying to someone simply trying to use the bathroom.

If they act like that to random people, I fear for my safety when they look over the stall and see a trans person, giving them a huge opportunity to make fun of or hurt someone who is a minority.

Gender neutral bathrooms give people a place to do their business that gives them the feeling of privacy, safety, and comfort — not just people who are under the trans umbrella, but many people feel unsafe in public restrooms. Single use bathrooms also offer a safe place for people with young kids who need help using the bathroom.

Overall, people should feel safe and respected in a place to take care of their basic human needs.

Kai Nelson