Much thanks from Sequim Prairie Grange
The Sequim Prairie Grange would again like to thank everyone that donated their time and products to help make our ice cream socials successful.
The grange, holds three socials each summer; two for someone in need in our community and one for the grange building fund, for a new roof.
We couldn’t do this without bananas donated by Sunny Farms Country Store, banana boats donated by Dairy Queen and the best crew doing the work … and, of course, all the folks who attended.
Marie Paddock and Loretta Bilow
Sequim
Vote for fire, rescue levy
Fourteen years ago, the voters overwhelmingly approved a real estate tax increase to $1.50 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation for our District 3 fire and rescue squads. Because of a peculiarity of Washington law, this rate has since declined to about $1.26.
Meanwhile, call volumes have increased 33 percent in the past seven years and tripled in the past 20 years. That is primarily due to calls for emergency medical service, because the median age of our community is 59. More calls mean added costs for personnel, supplies, fuel and the like.
While only about 20 percent of Fire District 3 residents live in Sequim, nearly 80 percent of rescue/paramedic calls come from Sequim residents. If you live in or near the city, it is especially important that these services be fully funded.
After 14 years, the District 3 commissioners out of necessity have decided that additional funding is needed to continue the high quality service that our area expects. They are placing a proposal on the November ballot to restore the rate to $1.50 in 2019. This basically just represents an adjustment for 14 years of inflation, and amounts to an approximate increase of about $60 per year for a home with an assessed valuation of $250,000.
District 3 service is not just nice to have; it is literally a matter of life and death. The next life to be saved might be yours.
Please vote “Yes” in November for Clallam County Fire Protection District No. 3 — Proposition No. 1.
Ted Miller
Sequim
Take time to think
The weeks from July 9-July 20, 2018 (i.e., Trump’s NATO meeting threats, Trump’s insults to the UK Prime minister and the EU, Trump’s obvious utter lack of preparation for his private two-hour “Summit ” meeting with Putin in Helsinki, and his subsequent subservient abdication of the USA’s intelligence agencies to Putin’s denial in U.S. election meddling … and Trump’s comments in the “Summit’s” press conference) are historic.
The active word for all patriotic Americans, who value their democracy, Constitution, freedoms, civil rights and Rule of Law is: Think!
• Think of the USA’s future security without our 29 allies of NATO;
• Think of the impact on the USA’s economy without the trading partners and shared technology of the UK and the European Union AND Trump’s ill thought out imposed tariffs and lack of diplomacy;
• Think of the serious potential risk (impacts?) on the USA’s democracy, elections, infrastructure, power grids, et al., from Russia’s pervasive cyber attacks, while recognizing the U.S. Congress has just defunded $300 million in Federal assistance to increase cyber protection nationwide;
• Think of losing our Rule of Law after Trump’s constant denigration of US intelligence, courts and Department of Justice institutions;
• Think about the Republican-controlled Congress doing nothing to counteract the events of these two weeks, not to mention Trump’s ongoing immigration fiasco, our Constitution anticipated the Congress to be a check and balance to the Executive Branch, which it is not, and,
• Think how Trump is attempting to pattern the USA’s government after Putin’s Russia, and how much Trump obviously (overtly) admires dictators.
If anyone thinks the USA is “too big to fail,” think again! A successful Democracy is like a successful marriage — both take a lot of work, respect, integrity and compromise among the participants to assure persistent achievement.
Moral: Do not take 240 years of progress of the USA for granted!
Richard Hahn
Sequim
