Letters to the Editor

The real reason

Editor, the Journal,

A recent letter writer cited 24 “reasons” they believed people remained unvaccinated. I submit that there is really only one reason: selfishness.

At some point those who choose to be unvaccinated decided that an inconvenience to themselves was more important than a moral commitment to their community. I think ignorance is also a factor. And I do not mean that as an insult. I have had a long career as a scientist, and I know from decades of experience that scientists often fail at effectively communicating risk and scientific findings. This is a failing of the scientific community. In addition, the coarse lies and fantasies perpetuated by right-wing media and politicians also have done a lot of damage and resulted in unnecessary suffering and loss of life.

Almost every one of the letter writer’s 24 “observations” are a clear indication that the willfully unvaccinated are simply selfish whiners. A full 21 of the 24 observations are self-centered positions focusing on “I” or “me.” How about this “I got vaccinated as much to protect those around me as I did to protect myself.” Or “It is very important to me to know that if I get COVID-19, I am unlikely to infect and possibly cause the death of another person?” How about those for reasons to get vaccinated?

As I said in a previous letter to those who are willfully unvaccinated: Stop your whining and get vaccinated. P.S. Having said all that, I do agree with the letter writer’s final message of kindness toward those who are unvaccinated. However, this letter writer’s patience has worn thin.

Pieter Booth

Shelton

Vote for Joe

Editor, the Journal,

I’m writing in support of City Council candidate, Joe Schmit. I supported Joe in 2018 as the city transitioned to a City Council, he did not let us down. I am constantly impressed by Joe’s dedication to the City of Shelton and the enormous amount of time he dedicates to serving the people, solidifying my support. Shelton is a gem, somewhat unknown to the outside world or maybe thought of as a stop on the way to the Peninsula or the coast — Joe is determined to help substantiate a “community” here in Shelton that his children will want to come back to as adults to raise their families.

Joe represents our town well in other aspects of his life, outside of our town as well as inside Shelton. He is immersed in what is going on in town, you will either see him volunteering or out supporting community events with his family.

If you have had the pleasure of speaking with Joe, you will immediately feel the pride he has for our community. He listens well and makes sure he understands your point of view.

Shelton is fortunate to have Joe Schmit on our City Council, please vote for Joe!

Lisa Scheibe Brengan

Shelton

Editor’s note: Certified election officials charged with counting and auditing votes in Washington have found no evidence of widespread vote anomalies in the state. There are no ongoing official audits and no one in Mason County will be contacted regarding the 2020 general election by an election official in their official capacity.

Watching the ballots

Editor, the Journal,

Our Legislature of the great state of Washington has stated that “Election observers protect the integrity of the election by impartially observing the ballot processing activities.” This has been written into law in our RCW 29A.40.100.

Election observers are trained by the Election Department of the Mason County Auditor’s Office. According to the auditor’s training manual, the duties of an election observer are to observe every aspect of the ballot process, including logic and accuracy test, processing mail ballots, election night activities and certification.

Over the last two election cycles, I believe ballot observation in Mason County has failed and the Auditor’s Office is in violation of the law.

During the 2020 general election and the 2021 primary election, election observers were restricted to watching the process via YouTube. Inadequate camera coverage resulted in watching pictures on screens that were too small to provide adequate ballot observation and more importantly did not include audio.

There was very limited observation of sorting and batching in the sorter room.

It was impossible to observe signature verification.

It was impossible to verify that voters were contacted if their ballots were rejected.

There was no meaningful observation as ballots were separated from their envelopes and inspected.

It was impossible to observe ballot resolution due to lack of audio.

It was impossible to observe the duplication of spoiled ballots. Audio is crucial in this area also.

The county auditor’s training manual states that “objective observation of the procedures help ensure the integrity of our elections.” This clearly did not happen during the last two election cycles.

This mishandling of the ballot observation process undermines the integrity of the elections department and personnel working there. In order to restore confidence in future elections, I believe a full forensic audit of the 2020 general election should be conducted.

Nancy Brown

Belfair

Stop the nonsense

Editor, the Journal,

On Jan. 19, 1925, a potentially deadly diphtheria epidemic was poised to sweep through Nome, Alaska’s children. The town’s doctor, Dr. Curtis Welch, had ordered serum, but the port froze over before the medicine arrived. In the midst of winter, Nome was inaccessible by ship, plane or train. Nome was put into quarantine, but there were still 20 confirmed diphtheria cases and 50 more suspected. Without the serum, anyone who caught the disease would most likely die. The only serum that could stop the outbreak was in Seattle. The best way for getting the serum to Nome in time was by plane, but the engine of the only plane that could deliver the medicine was frozen and would not start. Lots of ideas were discussed on how to move the serum to Nome. The final leg for transport would be by dogsled, a distance of 674 miles. The serum was transported by train from Seattle to Nenana, Alaska, where the first musher embarked as part of a relay aimed at delivering the needed serum to Nome. Twenty mushers and 150 dogs participated in the relay and it took 5 ½ days and before dawn on Feb. 2, the town and surrounding villages were saved.

Why would I even mention this epic story? Here’s why. Dr. Curtis Welch of Nome recognized an impending medical disaster in the making. He called for serum. He quarantined people who were sick and he was treating the sick.

People he called in Alaska (via primitive radios) stepped up to help. People of authority all over the nation listened to the best ideas and acted on the ideas. Their options were limited. No ships, no planes and no railway. For the last leg they decided on using dogsleds to transport the serum.

Scott C. Bone, governor of the United States Territory of Alaska, decided to add more mushers to the plan, he sent out a message looking for experienced dog sled teams that lived along the route and were willing to volunteer for the dangerous mission.

Through all of the research that I did to write this letter never did I read about anyone, anywhere, protesting against the serum, the doctor, the mushers, the dogs, the governor, the vaccinations in people especially the children, the quarantine. The whole process to save lives in Nome was never politicized. There were no games being played. Everyone was working to save lives and they did.

So to all of you reading this letter who have and/or are currently participating in the COVID-19 bullshit games of mistruths you should have your butts kicked. You are imbeciles and idiots, and you have either directly or indirectly helped sicken and even kill people by your stupid reasoning and behavior. We should be at a COVID inoculation level of 97% to 98%. Get it done people! Stay smart, better yet, stay alive.

Earl W. Burt

Bremerton

For the future, vote

Editor, the Journal,

Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy, so it’s important that all eligible voters exercise their rights at the ballot box, even during an election year that lacks the excitement and attention of a national campaign.

The election Nov. 2 will determine the future of our local schools, fire and hospital districts and city government. Local voters will elect school board members in nine school districts and commissioners for 11 fire protection districts, five water districts and two public hospital districts. And let’s not forget the selection of members on the Shelton City Council.

Election to these positions impacts Mason County citizens’ lives even though the contests might not be as glamourous as during a national election year.

Be a smart and informed voter. Look for reliable sources of information about the candidates. What is their experience and stand on important issues? Examine their endorsements and who contributes to their campaign. Do your homework. Your vote counts.

As members of the leadership team of the League of Women Voters of Mason County, we encourage you to exercise your right to vote. Our elections are safe, and your vote is secure. Democracy begins at home and requires the active participation of all our citizens.

Lynn Busacca

Dee Ann Kline

Nancy Snyder

Cheryl Williams

League of Women Voters of Mason County

No complaints here

Editor, the Journal,

When my doctor told me to go to the emergency room because of a serious heart problem I was experiencing, I was afraid. Everywhere in the media and on the web there are scary stories of understaffed, overcrowded hospitals, with patients stacked in hallways waiting hours for care.

But when I got to Mason General, I was in an emergency department room within 15 minutes of arrival and speaking with a doctor in less than a half hour. Ultimately, I spent three days in the Mason General ICU and the care I received was compassionate, professional, speedy and effective. My entire stay, I was treated with respect, regard for my privacy, concern for my well-being and with the goal of making me as comfortable as possible during my stay. My expectations were exceeded in every way possible, and I have not one single complaint on anything for the entire time I was there.

I wish I had been able to thank every nurse, every doctor, every nurses aide, the food service staff, the technicians, lab staff, and every other person working there because every single person I came in contact with took excellent care of me when I needed it most. What a fabulous team we have here in our community, and how lucky we are to have them. Thank you, Mason General Hospital.

Henry Dulemba

Belfair

‘Yes’ on levy, Bull

Editor, the Journal,

I am endorsing the North Mason School District operations levy and also Arla Shephard Bull for school board director. Please vote “yes” for both the levy and Arla.

This levy is a fixed-dollar levy unlike the original one that would have increased yearly if your annual property value was evaluated upward like they have been for many years now — at least mine has been going up and up. On this fixed-dollar levy, they will collect the same dollar amount every year of the levy so the effective tax rate will go down as your evaluation goes up. The total dollars are also a lot less than before.

I would like to also point out that we have lost the DNR timber tax money since our old levy expired as public entities only get a portion of the timber dollars — if they are collecting a tax levy. This year alone we missed out on well over $100,000!

I have known Arla since she first became a reporter for the Shelton-Mason County Journal and she did an outstanding unbiased job reporting the news in our area. She is a very community-minded individual and will always do what is best for our children and our community. I have faith and trust in her to make the right decisions on the School Board and can assure you she will always be open-minded and listen to your inputs.

Herb Gerhardt

Belfair

Vote for Moody

Editor, the Journal,

I’m writing this letter in support of Darrin Moody for the position of hospital commissioner. After my own years of public service as mayor, City of Shelton, and then as a Mason General Hospital commissioner, I know the requirements for this position. That’s why I support Darrin Moody to fill my unexpired term at Mason Health.

Darrin proved his leadership qualities while serving as the City of Shelton Police chief. During his tenure he built partnerships within the community. Additionally, while in this office, Darrin made the difficult decisions centered around community issues with a high level of ethical accountability. That’s why the Shelton Police Department, in the first time in its history, is now accredited by Washington state.

Please join me and vote for Darrin for the position of hospital commissioner.

Thanks,

Scott Hilburn

Retired commissioner at Mason Health

Shelton

Remembering Camp Grisdale

Editor, the Journal,

In 1947, my parents moved our family to Camp Grisdale which had opened one year earlier. My father, Orin Michael, drove log truck and after a year, became transportation supervisor.

Coming from the Olympia/Lacey area, I soon discovered a quite different way of life. I was then 10 years old. Because I enjoyed fishing and hunting, I soon became somewhat of a modern-day Huckleberry Finn. A small creek provided fishing and swimming within 200 yards of our home, but in order to reach the creek, we had to lower ourselves, using a heavy rope down a steep ravine. As I reflect now, my mother soon suggested I share some trout with our neighbors, as I fished most days and always brought some fish home. Fishing season scheduled to be open all year, although not officially.

I owned a single-shot 22 rifle and from time to time I provided a grouse for our dinner table. A 10-year-old with a rifle would, today, seem quite out of order, but 74 years ago, such was not uncommon, at least in Grisdale!

The camp included 52 family homes, plus two separate houses which were occupied by the camp superintendent and his assistant. A lumberman’s mercantile store provided basic necessities, though most citizens did their shopping in Shelton. In addition, we had a recreation hall with a two-lane bowling alley. The bowling alley provided some income for me as I was paid 10 cents per line to operate a hand-operated rack. I soon learned to move quickly after the rack, with pins, was pulled down. Some loggers enjoyed a few beers as they bowled, and some thought it was funny to use me as a target with the bowling ball. All in good fun of course, and I never got hit.

Another source of income was realized by collecting left-behind beer bottles. Mondays were the best as the loggers downed more than a few on Saturdays and Sundays. A case of stubbies earned me 25¢ and a real find was a pop bottle that was worth 5 cents (big ones) used for mixer. No canned beer at that time, only bottles.

The loggers lived in bunk houses and a large shower and bathroom was shared by all. A cookhouse provided meals for those in the bunkhouses and the food was of high quality and served in great abundance. As I recall, Tuesday was steak night and platters were filled until all were satisfied. A two-room schoolhouse, four grades in each, provided education through 8th grade. High school kids had to make arrangements to attend school in Shelton.

Unlike fine wine, my writing skills have not improved with age but, at age 84, this is how I remember Camp Grisdale.

Ken C. Michael

Olympia

Re-elect Schmit

Editor, the Journal,

I have had the opportunity to get to know Joe Schmit over the last couple years, and in that time I have witnessed the compassion and energy he devotes toward his community. As vice chair of the Mason County Economic Development Council, Advisory Board member of the Shelton YMCA, and as a current City Councilmember of Shelton, Joe is someone who works tirelessly to build and strengthen economic opportunity for our local workforce. As an employer for the state Department of Transportation, he understands the importance of a strong public transportation system — especially, in our rural communities. As a young father, he works tirelessly to create a community where his children, and all children — regardless of who they are or where they come from — can have the opportunity to succeed and be proud of their community.

Joe is someone we aspire to see in our public officials: he’s compassionate, honest, and willing to engage and listen to all voices (something that we could all do a better job at). He embodies the type of leadership that we need more of in our communities. Joe represents the very best of Shelton, and I look forward to seeing the progress he will continue to make on the City Council. I am proud to support him, and I hope you will all do the same.

Colton Myers

Olympia

Schmit has my vote

Editor, the Journal,

Joe Schmit is a stellar candidate for the City of Shelton. He has planted his roots here and has been a driving force in our community. I have had the opportunity to sit down with Joe and something that stands out about him is his ability to listen and his clear passion for this community.

He has a long history of service on local, regional and national levels. He has demonstrated a clear directive for carrying out civic duties at an impressive level through his service in the military, as a volunteer firefighter, serving on our City Council and serving on several boards within our community. He truly cares about Shelton and his track record proves it.

He has the experience that well qualifies him for the job and his open-minded approach toward listening to his constituents and taking all angles into account are vital for the position. Joe leads with compassion, logic and experience. Just the kind of leadership we need.

Gigi Olsen

Shelton