Letters to the Editor

Thanks for aiding Fire District 12

Editor, the Journal,

I commend our elected Mason County commissioners Randy Neatherlin, Kevin Shutty, Sharon Trask, Sheriff Ryan Spurling and Auditor Steve Duenkel and staff at Mason County for their actions to stabilize Fire District 12.

I was impressed seeing the auditor, sheriff and our county commissioners at community meetings regarding the fire district where they offered support and answered questions from the public.

Our state Reps. Dan Griffey and Travis Coulter, and state Sen. Drew MacEwen supported county efforts by proposing legislation to aid in situations such as what has occurred at Fire District 12.

It is unfortunate that our elected Attorney General Bob Ferguson and candidate for governor has not offered any assistance in recovering lost funds.However, it is good to see our local elected government officials exemplifying good governance. Perhaps the rest of our government officials could follow suit.

Philip Wolff, Allyn

Bravo, Lily

Editor, the Journal,

May I commend the beautiful letter written by Lily Bennett. Every female athlete should tape it to their bedroom mirror. There is a beauty in the difference between biological males and females, and yes, boys are made to be stronger in their genetics and girls are a different strong in theirs. Girls and boys should embrace that difference.

That is why it is all the more important not to allow the convoluted mindset of the progressive movement to eradicate this unique difference in the sexes by enforcing an insane, destructive practice of allowing biological boys to compete on biological girls' teams.

I am watching heart-broken girls, who have worked so very hard in what they love, get left in the dust of track, swimming, and other athletic events by stronger boys who, for whatever reason, wish to identify as girls. These amazing biological girls are losing scholarships, awards and future hopes by this practice. Only in extremely rare cases exist chromosomal deviations that may contribute to dual gender; otherwise a guy putting on a skirt and self-identifying does not make him a girl any more than putting on jeans and ball cap makes a girl a guy.

When this insane edict is practiced in sports, girls are not "in control."

Someone will "take away your mental power," and you are not the "only person who can squash your confidence," and if that "person performing better than you" is a biological boy, they do matter. Do not let this practice become the norm. Fight for your right to be a girl that competes only with girls and receive the rewards you as a biological girl deserve. No, this is not "transphobic," it is biology; it is fairness.

Katie Groves, Shelton

Save our park

Editor, the Journal,

On Thursday afternoon, I joined many other community members of all ages at the park next to the Shelton Post Office. We were all there to demonstrate against the USPS's decision to tear out the park to build a parking lot. We held our signs on the corner of Railroad and waved and encouraged everyone that drove by to honk their agreement.

When I think of losing the park I think of the many years of traditions that we will lose as well. The Christmas tree, the benches under those great old trees that are perfect to eat your lunch under and the community gathering spot in the heart of town. I encourage everyone to contact our representatives in Washington, D.C., (Derek Kilmer, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell) and ask for their help in changing the mind of the USPS Committee members.

I also encourage all of you in favor of saving the park to come out at our next demonstration and voice your concern. Hearing from the community in force may make a difference.

Bonnie Day, Shelton

Why close clinic?

Editor, the Journal,

It appears that Franciscan is closing the North Mason Clinic. No reason has been given for dismissing the local doctor, and now closing the primary care facility. Lots of rumors, but no facts.

What caused this closure? I say follow the money, health care is big business and Belfair is too small to make the kind of returns that Franciscan wants. So to heck with this small town operation.

It is time for Franciscan Virginia Mason to level with the people. Just the facts and figures. They are big business and don't want to include a lower profitable health care operation in a small community. Franciscan health is not healthy for Belfair. Remember it is not about health care, it is about the money.

Paul L. Wilkins, Belfair

Some advice for district critic

Editor, the Journal,

In response to Brenda Hirschi's letter "Advice for Shelton graduates."

Brenda, while your letter to the editor may be accurate in the way the school district has managed and spent money, this was a backhanded congratulations to the Shelton High School graduates who have nothing to do with the adult drama that is happening at the district office level. There is no excuse for combining them in that article.

I might add, now that I am no longer an Shelton School District employee, I would like to remind you that you are the one who pushed to hire Alex Apostle, with lots of warning that he would put a financial strain on our district by overspending. You hired him because he was willing to do your dirty work in "getting rid" of the Shelton High School principal at that time, who was respected and admired by her staff. We were a team that worked great together.

If you hadn't been so motivated by your power, you would have considered the articles coming out of Montana that warned us about his spending and need for power. It was under his leadership that he kept giving more power and responsibility to the finance director, to even make her an assistant superintendent, with zero qualifications for that position. With so much on one's plate, how would she be able to manage the finances at the rate in which he spent the money?

Brenda, you had a hand in this situation, so own it. Mostly, just leave the kids out of it. They should be congratulated, they have been put to the test, but don't do it as a "gotcha" for the DO. That's just gross.

Jill Bourgault, Shelton

Editor's note: The graphic in question was a composite image sourced from a stock photography service.

Detail is everything

Editor, the Journal,

In Journal Vol. 138, No. 21, Pages 20 and 21 you have a wonderful expose about the poem "High Flight" and an informative article about honoring our country's fallen military airman using the missing man formation, both superimposed on a portion of our United States flag. Thank you for that! You remembered those who support and fly our military's aircraft honorably. Then you have three aircraft silhouettes depicted that happen to be Russian Sukhoi Su-30 fighters. The U.S. military doesn't have many Su-30s and those they have obtained are used to train our pilots how to defeat them. The Sukhoi Su-30 is a most capable and beautiful aircraft and most people, not militarily educated, wouldn't catch it. You could have found representative U.S. military fighters to superimpose over our flag.

Dave Hermann, USAF Major (Ret.), Shelton