Letters to the Editor

A winning Saturday

Editor, the Journal,

My family and I attended the downtown Shelton Christmas happenings on Saturday evening. After the year we have had, I can honestly say I wasn’t looking forward to it. I was dreading it but, sometimes, we have to do it for the kids. So we bundled up and headed into town. It was so great to see how many people were out and about. So many wore their smiling faces and you could feel the lightness in the atmosphere. Right when I stepped onto Railroad Avenue, my spirits lifted. It felt like Christmas! We walked up and down each side of Railroad, gave lots of hugs and said hello to many of our acquaintances. It was a beautiful thing. I am so grateful for the members of our community who worked so hard to make this event happen. Thank you all for your efforts, your time and your skills.

Janeen McLaughlin

Shelton

The final cut

Editor, the Journal,

Shelton town lost a great artist last month: Barber Terry quit his chosen occupation two years earlier than he preferred through a personal oversight and administrative intransigence. By God, Barber Terry was a maestro of this trade! I’d arrive at his downtown Shelton shop looking as though I’d tucked my head into an active storm sewer then leave looking like Clint Eastwood — in his handsome days as Lieutenant Callihan, not the earlier edition with the goofy hat in “Gunsmoke.”

As I understand it, Barber Terry lost his permission to cut hair because, well, he’s human and lost track of his official certificate to cut people’s hair (whatever) and because of the COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent lack of active administrators at the state of Washington Barber Authority — Renewal of Certification Department , he was not reminded of this oversight and subsequently missed the renewal deadline. His offer to pay a penalty for this egregious oversight was denied. To reinstate his career as a barber in the state of Washington he is required to start as any beginner: a year’s attendance at a state certified barber school. He opted for an early retirement.

Absurd!

I understand the need for certification in cases where incompetence in an occupation can cause loss of property, environmental catastrophe or death, but the effect of a bad haircut is generally lessened over time. And if you’re a lousy barber you’ll soon lose all your customers and suddenly realize that this occupation is not for you; that perhaps you should look into nuclear power plant design — something to which you have a talent and won’t harm anything.

Barber Terry — I’ll miss you.

James Poirson

Shelton

Hiding something?

Editor, the Journal,

The conduct of former President Donald Trump’s attorneys in their challenge for excluding his records from disclosure is a total farce. It totally ignores the already established precedents of the Nixon years that acting as a public office holder means the records and actions taken while you occupied a tax-supported office are accessible because you are totally accountable to those who elected you.

Their argument that this is a political witch hunt to bring about partisan harm ignores a basic fact of our checks and balance system of government. If you’ve done something wrong, it’s a damned right for the Congress to ascertain and assess what happened. Trying to conceal your records of performance is little more than an admission you’ve done something wrong and need to hide its disclosure. (Which is exactly the point, developed by an aggressive media, that brought Richard M Nixon's malfeasance in office to light.)

The fact that Trump continues to relentlessly profess the election was stolen and continues to threaten and belittle opponents in order to support his power ego is more than enough evidence that his malfeasance while in office needs discovery. And needs it as expeditiously as possible.

Nixon resigned his office as a bargaining method to avoid public hearings and disclosure of his guilt. Trump meanwhile, (voted out of office), continues to milk his dilemma for contributions from the cult to support a defense fund for the continuing appeals of meritless delay to avoid accountability on the public stage. Sad indeed because the hint of evidence to now would indicate the January 6th Congressional Committee is onto something that is not “trumped-up.”

G. Owen Ray

Allyn

Spelling matters

Editor, the Journal,

I screwed up. I misspelled a word and Theresa Jacobsen caught it. Illegals cross our border uninvited, unmasked, unvaccinated and undeterred; more importantly Theresa caught my spelling error. President Joe Biden ran from Afghanistan leaving Americans and $80 billion dollars’ worth of military equipment behind, yet Theresa focused on my error. Nearly every large city run by Democrats has record murder rates and major crime, but the really important issue to Theresa is that misspelled word. Good work, Theresa.

I gladly accept a charter membership in the Chronically Cranky Complaining Curmudgeon Club (CCCCC). I hope I do the club right. I don’t want to commit another faux pas; (did I spell that correctly, Theresa?) This honor is nearly equal to my charter membership in the Basket of Deplorables Group. Will I get a trophy?

Patricia Hawley and Bill Pfender want to discuss ex-President Donald Trump; they’re really into him. I focus on policy; Dems focus on personality. I liked Trump’s policies but his demeanor disgusted me. He was a loudmouth blowhard. He’s been out of office for a year; why do Bill and Patricia still focus on him? He’s really taken up residence in their brains. They can’t defend that joke in the White House so they attack Trump; again. They’re really fixated with Trump. Pitiful!

There are three types of leaders; those who know what they’re doing and prove it; those who don’t know what they’re doing and admit it; and Biden who hasn’t a clue. He has no respect for our hard-earned dollar, no understanding of inflation, no concern for keeping promises and no relationship with the truth. Because of Biden, Democrats expect major loses in both the House and Senate next year. Let’s help Democrats meet their expectations; defeat Reps. Derek Kilmer, Marilyn Strickland and Sen. Patty Murray in 2022. Until then, let’s watch the zombies as they walk down the street looking for brains to eat. Note how they walk right by Democrats.

Ardean Anvik

Shelton