In the three fire department meetings I’ve attended, I never heard her criticize the mission of the fire department, nor heard her assail the commissioners. There is a significant difference between questioning expenditures of the department and disrespecting their valued mission. One should not be confused with the other. Where do our tax dollars go and is there a better way to expend the budget? These are not inappropriate questions. There is nothing wrong with a member of the public holding the feet of those the public has elected to the fire, so to speak. Whether someone pays $107 or $107,000 in property taxes, the beauty of America is that we all have a voice to inquire.

She deserves the same respect as any invested citizen. It is shameful to imply that she does not care. She has worked very hard as a volunteer in our community. She works hard to be a responsible citizen. As we all should. I wish I had as much energy. I hope that in the future we can rise above this personal belittling and focus instead on the questions being asked.

Ladd Lindholm

Orcas Island

We need to respect each other

I like living in this country. How incredible it is that we as citizens have the right to participate in the way our government is being run. Many global citizens do not have that right. It is too bad that more people weren’t paying attention in the past decade, as we probably would not be in the mess nationally that we are.

Our state representatives ask us to call and write them about issues that we are concerned about and our council members do the same. I am hoping that our fire commissioners will now understand the importance of the public to feel that they can come to their meetings and ask questions about how our tax dollars are being spent. It is so unfortunate that many people get so defensive about their own positions and are unable to see the big picture.

I was disappointed at the last fire meeting to listen to someone verbally attack Pierrette Guimond and call her a rotten egg, as well as read the letter in last week’s paper. I have been told that the person who wrote the letter has recently moved here and is currently writing grants for the Fire District. He was also serving iced coffees to the commissioners at this meeting and is cooking for staff/volunteers at the department.

You may not like Pierrette’s style, but she does come prepared and has researched her subjects well. To be verbally attacked is really uncalled for. I would like to put up her hundreds of volunteer hours and dollars next to the man that just moved here. She has put in hundreds if not thousands of hours in board work and community landscaping. She has researched every document the county has from the turn of the century until the present for the cemetery district. We now have a data base with accurate information for all plots. She also hand-painted 100+ bricks and placed them to mark the lots.

Remember we live in a wonderful community with diverse opinions. Respect for each other builds community. Disrespect pulls us apart.

Leith Templin

Orcas Island

Guimond is a hard-working volunteer

Steven Siler’s attack on one of our most hard-working citizens (June 10 Sounder, “Fire Department deserves thanks”) achieves a new low in public dialogue. Furthermore, the Sounder needs to examine its research about letter-writers who claim to be “concerned citizens.” Mr. Siler is employed by the fire department, as is his wife.

Anyone familiar with San Juan County government knows that one of its biggest problems is controlling the expenditures of small tax districts, such as the library, airport, fire department, and, yes, the cemetery district. The object of his venom, Ms. Guimond, has provided constructive criticism of all four.

As chair of the cemetery district for the past five years, she has served our community admirably by bringing its records into excellent condition. In addition, she has donated her considerable gardening skills to the library, to the senior center, to Orcas Center, and even to the (surprise, Mr. Siler!) Orcas Fire Department. Currently, the two centers are benefiting from her gardening expertise.

Mr. Siler, a new-comer to Orcas, may be forgiven and even welcomed once he realizes that slamming people is not productive of much except failed human relations. Don’t fret honey, we all learn that one day. Island communities have a way of doing that for us.

Jan Koltun-Titus

Orcas Island

We have the right to question officials

Last week in the letters to the editor was a column by a writer that castigated a member of our community, by name, for doing what makes a democracy work – engagement with the bureaucracy.

That criticism and the emotional outburst that apparently caused it, is not in the best interest of our society. People have the right to question and, yes, criticize elected officials who in their opinion are somehow delinquent in their responsibility to the people who elected them. Name calling is not a right. Our freedom of speech requires that we be respectful and tolerant of other peoples’ point of view. It is often difficult to stem one’s emotions, but to publicly denigrate a person for exercising their rights, is without merit and frankly beneath the journalistic standards that should be adhered to by this paper.

Walter Corbin

Olga

Clear choice for Eastsound Mayor

I do not understand why there is any question as to who should be Mayor of Eastsound. Let me review for your edification the candidates. There’s Eggitha the chicken, Mikey the dog, Dakota the dog and April the cow. And, lest we forget, Darwin the Nursery Dog, a write-in candidate.

Among this list of fine candidates, one stands head and shoulders above the rest. Of course, I am talking about April. I mean she is the tallest of all the candidates and therefore is head and shoulders above the rest; Dakota comes in real close!

Eggitha will produce, as her campaign proclaims, but do we want what she produces? When any of the elected officials lays an egg, it’s a bad thing. Eggitha is not all cracked up to be what is claimed. With this candidate things will run afowl. I think that Eggitha is all cluck and no pluck. Major corporate sponsorship – come on, what is that? The sponsor is just wanting a nest egg, feathering their nest, looking for a golden goose, folks. Eggitha is a chicken.

We have three male dog candidates: Mikey, Darwin and Dakota. As if Eastsound doesn’t already belong to the dogs! I will have to admit, though, if one of The Kennel Club wins, the town will be safer with the infusion of fire hydrants. It is true, dogs are man’s best friend. So let me ask you: with all you know about your best friend, do you want them as Mayor? With this group, I think that we are barking up the wrong tree. Will this group be asking us to wag more, bark less? I would be suspicious of any Mayor that happily greets anyone who has a treat to give. Some day all those favors will have to be repaid. I mean, you just can’t bury the bone on problems that arise. No matter what The Kennel Club claims, a wet nose and needy eyes don’t solve all problems. Howl if you hear me!

You can easily see that April is the only logical choice. With April you will get no bull. She is the one who has seen more changes in this town than anyone. She is a moooover and shaker in the community. All know her, and all love her. One person commented to me that April is an “Eastsound Institution.” April doesn’t say much but when she does, people listen. She won’t cowtow to anyone. Any other choice is udder nonsense. With April, you don’t have to ask, “Where’s the Beef?”

But please, please, please remember that no matter who you vote for (hint –April!) we are doing this for the children – I mean Children’s House.

Follow the election at www.oich.org.

Happy Voting.

David Johnson

Eastsound

Grateful to Hearts and Hands

Thank you, editor, for the space in which to air an opinion.

Sometimes I need to reduce tension over a grievance by notifying people of a situation which bothers me. At other times I need to express gratefulness for the generosity of my fellow man.

Today, it is gratefulness which prompts me to write this note. “Hearts and Hands” is a wonderful organization of volunteers who have helped me with household tasks, personal grooming, temporary emotional stress, and more.

I am an 87-year-old woman who still does most of my housework, my personal care, and my food preparation, but I have become slower at completing each job and I desperately need a nap every day. Frequently, it has been a Hearts and Hands volunteer who has mopped my floor, washed my dishes, transported my recyclables and garbage, scrubbed my itchy back, played a silly, easy game of cards with me, or spent the entire time listening while I jabbered about something which temporarily disturbed me.

I have found you volunteers to be extremely versatile. It is a pleasure to publicly thank each one of you for your generous help.

Grace Kidder

Orcas Island

Thank you, fire fighters

We want to thank the firefighters from Orcas Island as well as those who came to help from Lopez and San Juan Island from the bottoms of our hearts for responding so quickly the afternoon of Wednesday, June 10 to the brush fire that started above West Sound on the hillside below our property, and spread perilously close to our home. Your skillful containment of the fire saved our home, and perhaps others on the hill as well.

We are also very grateful to everyone who assisted you in so many ways: those who provided transportation for the fire fighters from other islands, those who were responsible for the heavy equipment used to make fire lines (John Thompson of Earthworks and Bill Hoyt), those who provided food for the fire fighters, neighbors who provided water from their ponds, the DNR folks who we’re told came and stayed the night – we don’t know everyone’s name, but we know the list would go on and on!

We were off island, but friends and neighbors were kind enough to send us photos and call with updates. We only wish that we could have been there to help in some way ourselves and to express our deep gratitude in person to each of you. We know how hard you all worked, with some folks staying all night to be sure that hot spots did not flare up again. It was fortunate that our driveway provided access to the hillside for the equipment, that the wind was not stronger or from a slightly different direction, and very fortunate indeed for us that our islands have such skilled and dedicated fire fighters.

Miriam Ziegler and Tom Baldwin

West Sound

Superintendent Evans says goodbye

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere and heartfelt appreciation of the Lopez community and the San Juan County community for the honor of being able to serve as the Superintendent of the Lopez Island School District for the last four years. It has been a true high point of my career to have been able to work with all of the very special young people and community members with whom I have shared my professional and personal life since 2005. The Lopez School Board and the staff at the Lopez Schools have been a source of professional reward and I have learned much from those good people. I am so proud of the young people of Lopez and so appreciative of the invitation they extended to me to be a part of their lives. As I contemplate my impending ride into the sunset I want to assure you that it is not goodbye, but merely a “so long – see you around!” I look forward to a continued long relationship with all of you. Thanks for a great ride!

Bill Evans

Lopez Superintendent

Help save Deer Harbor Post Office

Rural post offices all over America are being closed as a cost savings measure by the U.S. Postal Service. Even though Deer Harbor has had a post office since 1893, it too was slated for closure when the landowners cancelled its lease.

The residents of Deer Harbor are determined not to lose this vital community service. After exploring many possibilities, the community now has a one-time opportunity to buy the Deer Harbor post office property, and secure a 10-year lease commitment from the U.S. Postal Service.

If the community fails to raise the purchase price of $250,000 by July 8, they will, in all likelihood, lose the Deer Harbor Post Office forever.

Please help the community of Deer Harbor save their post office by sending a tax deductible donation to: Deer Harbor Community Club, PO Box 57, Deer Harbor, WA 98243.

Make checks payable to the Deer Harbor Community Club, and mark them “Post Office Purchase.” If for some reason the purchase of the post office property falls through, all donations will be returned in full.

You can read more about our campaign at: DHPO.blogspot.com

Sheila Gaquin

Deer Harbor

Thank you for grad coverage

After spending a few days in these beautiful San Juan Islands to attend the graduation of my grandson Felipe Carbonell III from Spring Street International School, I would like to congratulate your newspaper not only for the local information but also for publishing profiles of the class of 2009. It is a great example for all kids in the area and it encourages them to be in your paper in the future.

Dr. Felipe Carbonell

Peru

Prom dress proceeds to go to John Baker

I just dropped off a couple of prom worthy dresses to Aurora’s Consignment in downtown Eastsound. A “Prom You Never Had” fundraiser to help John Baker with cancer treatment expenses is being organized for July 10. My thought was to donate my portion of the proceeds to John through the sale of these dresses. Barbara, the owner of Aurora’s, liked the idea and said she will also donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of any prom-related items for this event.

So, if you have any fancy clothes you are ready to pass along and want to help John as well, this might be the time to take them to Aurora’s.

Kathi Ciskowski

Orcas Island