Stories by Gazette-Tribune Staff

Dear Editor,

As a resident of Aeneas Valley I went to my second meeting of the commissioners of Fire District 16, the first being March 10. Let it be noted that the official posting of this meeting was given on March 27 with the meeting time of 1 p.m., March 28, at Commissioner Wright’s — 24 hours later.

Initially, it seemed an unusual time and place for a public meeting since the majority of the public concerned would be at work. Once there, it became glaringly apparent that it was not intended as a real public meeting as required by law, but in fact, was masquerading as such in order to maintain the appearance of transparency.

Dear Editor,

Thoughts concerning Fire District 16. Thoughts, comments, questions. These are the questions I ask our firefighters at the end of most of our training nights. It is also the questions I have been asking myself over the past few weeks in regards to our Fire District. I just do not understand how something that was so well intentioned has gone so terribly wrong.

Dear Editor,

March 19, 2003 saw the starting of the most brutal war, wasteful spending and irresponsible borrowing in the U.S. history. The Bush Government’s false accusation of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was the justification, which we now know was a lie.

Dear Editor,

My pen has been gathering dust, so now I’ll join the faithful “wise-all listen to me because I know best” group that contributes letters on a regular timetable for your viewer’s appetite. So here goes, you know from my past letters what quarter I am coming from. Allow me to create a situation, which you can place, yourself and many others including yours truly.

Dear Editor,

A recent story in the Spokesman-Review highlighted the case of Fred Watley, who found himself kicked to the back of the transplant line after his employer routinely changed insurance carriers, triggering a 6 month waiting period for pre-existing conditions. He would have died in less than 6 months without the transplant. Mr. Watley’s dilemma demonstrates why employers should not be health insurance buyers. Employers buying your health care without being able to ask your family’s health needs makes as much sense as having the boss buy your car for you without knowing how many kids you have to carry.

Dear Editor,

The Federal Reserve was planning to cross a wide stream. It had crossed many such streams and was skilled in crossing them well. But just as it stepped into the water, investment banks asked to ride along. They didn’t have the assets to cross the stream but knew the Fed did. The Fed looked at the investment banks and said, “I can’t let you ride on my back. You want me to take your bad debt in exchange for my instruments which have the full faith and credit of the United States,” it said. “You’ll sting me.” The investment banks said, “If we’re not able to get to the other side, everybody who is waiting for us will panic and that will be terrible.” “Besides,” they said, “If we sting you, we’ll all drown.”

Dear Editor,

I wish to comment on a letter submitted to your newspaper concerning the policy of the Chesaw Tavern requiring UPS and FedEx customers to pay a fee to retrieve their parcels.

Dear Editor,

People really aren’t afraid to show they care.

Saturday, March 15 was a very busy day and evening in Tonasket for “organized” random acts of kindness with several benefits going on at the same time; a benefit dinner at THS; the crab feed at the Eagles, Habitat for Humanity and the one I would like to highlight was the very large turnout for the Food Bank and Tonasket Saloon benefit for repairs to the HVAC system that was recently vandalized.

Dear Editor

At the overflowing and rambunctious March 10th public meeting of our fledgling Aeneas Valley Fire District 16, a Petition was presented signed by nearly 70 tax-paying residents. Passions were high and tempers flared on ‘both sides of the aisle.’ In times like these, level heads need to prevail. It would be good for all of us to remember these words found in Washington’s Public Meetings Act:

Dear Editor,

To all property owners:

My husband and I have received several letters from a company in California – N.R.L.L. East LLC – stating that they have analyzed our property and are willing to purchase it. The latest letter said they were willing to pay “$14,000 total in CASH” for this parcel. According to the letter, that is what recent sales in the area indicate the property is worth.