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This is it. Voting has started in Washington. People are taking heed and voting early. Great. Whether you have voted or not, neither the day you cast your ballot, nor Election Day, Nov. 3, nor the day when results are announced in our Washington state or nationwide will be the most important day. Not the day the presidential winner is declared nor Inauguration Day January 20, 2021 will bring peace to our sadly divided nation or local communities. Like the end of the coronavirus pandemic, we do not know what national healing, recovery from the p...
Election ballots were mailed today. You received your state voters guide last week. When the ballot come, review your decisions, fill it out and put it in the mail or the elections drop box at the library or on the Swinomish Reservation. Do it by the end of the week, or soon after you have your ballot in hand. Your vote will definitely be counted if you return it to a county drop box and most likely if it is in the U.S. Mail by Oct. 26. Voting early ensures your ballot is delivered by Nov. 23, the last day ballots are counted. and eases the...
The word ubuntu comes from the Bantu tribe of South Africa. It was introduced into general use by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and prioritizes inclusivity over exclusivity, community over competition, hospitality over hostility, dialogue over confrontation, and respect over domination. A few years ago, when the archbishop visited Seattle, I was privileged to have a scheduled meeting with students from the University of Washington with Archbishop Tutu presiding. He reminded the students of the difficulties he experienced with the education of his...
What Donald Trump was Allen Elliott referring to in his Sept. 30 column? He is certainly a totally different president Trump than the one my husband and I support. I suspect he is the verbally contrived contortion of the likes of CNN, MSNBC, CBS, etc., the news outlets that now have become dangerous propaganda machines. While still in grade school, I recall a statement made by my teacher which made an indelible impression on me. She commented that it is very dangerous for a country when the news media (at that time newspapers) align themselves...
Two weekends ago, at October’s start, under cover of darkness coward operatives stole Republican campaign signs, including Trump signs, from dozens of front yards in our area. Members of the so-called “party of tolerance” apparently think they are entitled to engage in criminal activity, including trespass and theft, if they disagree with the 50% of Americans who voted for the current president. Trump supporters come in all colors, cultures and gender identities, and are bonded by a love of and respect for our country and our const...
The most important issue we will be looking at this year when voting for legislative candidates is their stance on the recently passed sexual education bill (ESSB 5395). As grandparents who care deeply about their grandchildren, we are appalled to see the state mandating this curriculum be taught throughout the state. Without question, this bill takes away local and parental control in schools. Local school districts exist to decide what is best for their community. At our local school board, we can clearly voice our opinion and be heard;...
Why? Most importantly to help keep Skagit from becoming a charter county. There is a strong push for Skagit County to transition from its county commission form of government to that of a charter. Contrary to claims, our county commission form of government, not perfect by any stretch, is not broken. So why try to fix something not broken, because it would benefit myriad environmental, progressive and other special interest groups – not the majority of us living here. Before moving to Skagit County, I was active in King County politics,...
As a retired medical professional with a master’s degree in public health, I am responding to Val Mullen’s “scientific” view point on mask wearing for COVID-19 protection. (letter, Oct.7) First, some explanation: This teeny virus which scientist Mullen states is 125 nanometers is carried by bodily fluids varying in size from misty aerosol droplets to spit balls. As anyone who has worn a mask for 15 minutes can attest to, a lot of those droplets are caught in the mask. One also sees this moisture on a cold winter’s day when your breath fr...
A self-proclaimed biologist from Sedro-Wooley has decided that she is smarter than the leading scientists in Japan, Germany, Russia and the United States among many others and is certain that we do not need to wear masks to combat COVID-19. It is so dangerous when you combine hubris with carelessness, especially when you are not only subjecting yourself to the disease, but also all those you come into contact with. I could understand someone saying that they do not think the science is clear enough yet but let us err on the side of caution...
I am appalled at the recent flyers that have been arriving via the mail, trashing Angie Homola, candidate for the 10th Legislative District. Apparently her opponent Greg Gilday does not have the fortitude to stand behind these tactics, so the flyers are being sent by a shady Republican group out of Bellevue. The flyers claim that Homola was fired from Island County Planning Department because of hostility and poor performance. That is, at best, a gross misrepresentation. I have known Angie for years, and at the time Angie was working...
Referendum 90 is the sole statewide initiative on the ballot you will be receiving next week. That gives you more time to read it and study the issue. You might be surprised this issue is on the ballot. Here is the background: The state legislature passed SB5395 “Concerning comprehensive sexual health education,” last spring in response to the state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal’s request. Reykdal is elected statewide to supervise on public schools and to follow the law. For Senate Bill 5395 his Office’s webpage states...
Growing up as an Ike-Republican gives me a unique vantage point. Republicans used to support family values, the environment, the Constitution and the rule of our laws. The U.S. president used to be a leader, not a liar. Longtime Senator Slade Gorton, a Washington Republican, passed away recently. This marks the end of moderate Republicans in Washington State – a party Gorton would no longer recognize as the Republican Party, now under the domination of Donald Trump. This year, shortly before his death, Gorton threw his support behind...
Go to the Secretary of State voting hub to sign in and check your registration status. You can also preview the measures and candidates via this portal. Washington state residents have nine days to the opening of early voting on Oct. 16. New voters (or address updates) have till Oct. 26 to register via online/mail methods. New voters (or updates) have till Nov. 3 to register/make updates in-person at election offices. Ballots are due 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. It is highly recommended that any ballots sent by actual mail be sent a week or two before,...
I am pro-life. I reverence the beautiful gift of life. The pre-eminent life issue is for me to reverence the unborn child. However, the Catholic Church teaches that being pro-life means more than reverencing the unborn child. While life begins at conception, it does not end there. As Pope Francis has said, “Our defense of the innocent unborn needs to be clear, firm and passionate. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned.” In other words, there are many other places where human lif...
I was offended by two mailers that my wife and I received from “Evergreen Progress,” a Republican sleaze machine out of Kirkland. It tried to show Angie Homola, Democratic candidate for state representative, in a most unfavorable light. It went back to 2008 to expose dirt against her. It must have cost bundles to produce this slick piece of garbage. It made no mention of the issues, or her opponent, Republican Greg Gilday. This reminded me of the hit piece put out by this same organization against Mary Margaret Haugen some years back. It was...
I am a biologist and have a different point of view on many of our issues. I write this letter as a scientist. Many have expressed disapproval of Ron Wesen, Bill Bruch and other candidates for attending the Skagit GOP rally in August, because they did not wear masks. I actually applaud and congratulate those candidates for their independent thinking and willingness to stand up for truth and honesty. This is especially difficult in the midst of the fear and panic we are exposed to daily from politicians, the media and public health bureaucrats....
Each one of us is concerned for our country’s future. We all want to get to a better, more prosperous and peaceful place. We want blue skies, bird song and bountiful harvests. The question always is, how do we get there? The devil is in the details. More, how do we get there together? Look past November, beyond January’s inauguration and beyond the next four years. 2030 is only ten years away. And we would be remiss not to commit to 2050 or to not be concerned about the 22nd century. So, put, not your thinking caps or even your hopeful cap...
What is the purpose of this small newspaper, perched on the periphery of the continent? How does the La Conner Weekly News best serve its readers? What is the publisher’s responsibility to both you and the times? At the dawn of our country – when we were a country in name only – a series of, yes, political essays titled “The American Crisis” were published starting in December of 1776. You might know the first sentences: “These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shri...
Donald Trump is unfit to lead and he is unfit to govern anyone let alone what just four years ago was the most respected country in the world. You can pick any subject and he has failed. Every day is a ‘He did what?’ day. His despicable actions simply do not stop. And, none of them benefit the nation he supposedly governs. As I write this his press secretary is trying gloss over yesterday’s revelation that he will not necessarily respect the results of the election. I have been increasingly worried about this with each step that he has taken...
As former school board directors in the South Whidbey School District, we are writing in support of Helen Price Johnson for Washington State Senator. Helen has participated extensively in positions of service to the South Whidbey community her entire adult life. Some well-known examples include her recognition in the South Whidbey Record as a “Hometown Hero” in 2004, serving as a director on the South Whidbey School Board for two terms from 2001-2008 and her history-making 2008 election as the first woman elected to the Board of Island Cou...
To the Editor I am voting for Helen Price Johnson for State Senator for one reason – her experience. It is an easy decision for anyone aware of her work on behalf of our community for the past 12 years as a county commissioner. Now she wants to represent us all at the state level. Helen is a moderate who clearly demonstrates she is pro economic growth, pro-innovation and fiscally responsible. I admire her long-time work on behalf of Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, so I have seen her land and cultural preservation values in a...
On December 27, 2018, Dave Paul drove to La Conner to talk to residents about their request for help in funding a new library. It was the holidays, he was not yet sworn in, but he was already on the job. He listened, asked questions, concluded it was a good investment of taxpayer money and then led the effort to allocate state funds to the project. As a result of his focus on the needs of his constituents, and his ability to work effectively with legislators of both parties (including Rep. Norma Smith), the La Conner and Swinomish communities...
Dear Mayor and Members of Town Council: I would like to ask that you remind the Sheriff’s Office about the code here regarding motorcades. They are basically unlawful unless permitted 45 days ahead. The town is on a slippery slope toward becoming the favorite of everyone with a cause. We have had three events since the start of summer and while they haven’t been disastrous, what recourse will we have when possibly horrible things might come? The code is here to plan to draw the line between lawful and the not lawful. The Sheriff is here to hel...
My big brother, God rest his soul, loved to play bridge, and he was really good at it. He had that kind of mind. So he won a lot. He also cheated. He thought the best players played exceptionally well – and also cheated really well. That is how he justified his own cheating. I think there is probably some small truth to professionals cheating, but I am diametrically opposed to it. My philosophy is that if you cheat to win, you are a loser, regardless of the outcome of the game. And you forfeit the right to consider yourself an honorable...
Those of us who lived through the 1960s and 70s remember the Nixon era, those who did not should read about it. I lived in Frankfurt, Germany at the time, and experienced the sad situation of young American soldiers being sent to Germany and then deployed to Vietnam. Those who survived told us later about those who did not. At the time I participated in demonstrations with American friends who spoke out about the political situation in their homeland. They called out “Nixon Murder” after President Nixon had sent troops to American towns try...
