Letters to the Editor - August

The Editor:

On Sunday, I came down to our cabin on Park Lane with my new rescue dog of two days. It’s a little black/tan male chihuahua – three years old and a rescue.

He somehow wiggled out of his harness and leash. Neighbors tried to help; he cameback  for a treat but escaped when I tried picking him up. Off he ran to Gulf Road, up to the Marketplace, turned onto Tyee Drive and on down to Marina Drive. This took 45 minutes.

Everyone was stopping and trying to catch him, offering treats and kind words. Finally, he ran up a gravel driveway close to the grocery store. Several cars followed. Finally, a quick young man and his girlfriend trapped the doggie in an old, fenced garden and managed to grab him. He’s only 5 pounds but was scared and nervous. They wrapped him in a towel, and I put his harness back on.

Thanks to all of you for slowing down and trying. This could have been a very sad day for me if he’d been run over! The experience showed me how kind the folks are down at the Point. Thank you, kind angels. I will be more careful next time.

Leona Oren

Point Robert

The Editor:

I am writing to share some thoughts on our upcoming election, and to encourage everyone to participate. Here’s how:

Learn about the candidates who are running. Research them yourself and know their positions on the issues that are important to you.

Focus on what the candidates’ plans are for solving those issues. Resolve not to get distracted by the negative campaigning of an opposing candidate.

If you have questions, talk to your party’s precinct officer. They have been working to have the information needed, and may be a helpful resource.

Take the time to consider what you find, pray and vote. Your voice matters!

I’ll repeat that – vote. Because your voice matters.

Vote, because we have that blood-earned right – lets’ not give that right away by being silent.

One last thing – I ask that people please stop stealing candidates’ signs. Not only is it disrespectful, it is illegal. Those signs are protected by law. (RCW 29A.84.040 and RCW 9.20.021, for example).

We all have opinions, and many of our preferences differ, so please, let’s respect one another during this wonderful process of freedom, and resist the urge to silence those we differ with.

Christena Miller

Birch Bay

The Editor:

Ranked-choice voting.

Receiving my ballot this week, I grabbed the voter’s pamphlet to review the candidates. As I reviewed eight candidates for insurance commissioner, seven candidates for public lands commissioner, eight candidates for U.S. Representative, 11 candidates for U.S. Senate, 21 for governor and five for lieutenant governor, it occurred to me that we really should consider ranked-choice voting (RCV) for all primaries.

RCV allows candidates to focus on their virtues, values, abilities and ideas. Campaign rhetoric could be based on their own vision rather than dissing each other. What a concept proven by several states. Just saying.

Donna Starr

Blaine