Vote for Pickens

I support Eric Pickens as our next representative from the 24th Legislative District.

Eric has deep roots in this area. He graduated from Chimacum High School, went on to serve in the Coast Guard, and then returned to serve his community as a teacher, union leader and Sequim School Board President. I have the privilege of serving with Eric on the Sequim School Board, and I can attest to his deep knowledge of school funding issues, his impressive ability to solve problems, and his passionate commitment to see that every student and family thrives.

He will bring those qualities to his service as a legislator, and our community will benefit from having him represent us.

Please cast your vote for Eric Pickens.

Patrice Johnston

Sequim

Editor’s note: Johnston and Pickens are Sequim School Board directors. — MD

Candidates stand out in Primary Election

Wow! Talk about a plethora of choices on the Primary Election ballot.

Washington state has a “Top Two” Primary, so this vote decides who will be on the November ballot, regardless of party. There’s no guarantee the nominees will be one Democrat and one Republican — they could be two Dems or two Repubs or whatever.

You know there’s room for improvement, across the slate, so don’t give a knee-jerk vote to familiar names seeking re-election or promotion.

Fully 28 people filed for Governor. Having met Dave Reichert, I’m convinced he’s the right choice to deliver a change for the better.

Of 11 choices for United States Senator, Dr. Raul Garcia stands out as the top upgrade.

Among five wanting to be our new representative in Congress, state legislator Drew MacEwen impresses me as being deserving of a promotion.

State Legislative District 24 is ripe for an all-new delegation and there are no better prospects than Marcia Kelbon for Senate, Matt Roberson for Position 1 in the House, and Terry Roberts for House Position 2.

One incumbent who has my enthusiastic support for re-election is Clallam County commissioner Randy Johnson.

There are many other positions to be filled. Read Voter Pamphlets, attend candidate forums and make informed choices.

We may wish in vain for better candidates at the top of the November ballot, but the Primary is our opportunity to give ourselves good choices on down the ballot. Vote!

Martha McKeeth Ireland

Sequim

Back our hospital

I have been treated at Olympic Medical Hospital three times in the last five years: for a heart incident in 2019, and for knee replacements in 2022 and 2024. I was pleased with the doctors’ and nurses’ commitment to my healing in each case.

We know that the Covid years were especially difficult for the hospital, because so many of the patients who needed help in their struggle for survival had Medicare as their only health care coverage. It is regrettable that this community hospital receives only 80% reimbursement of costs, whereas other health providers in Clallam receive 100%.

I support the OMC levy lid lift as expressed in Proposition 1 on the August Primary ballot.

Judith Parker

Sequim

Support OMC levy

I am voting to approve Proposition 1, the OMC levy, which will provide much needed additional funding to Olympic Medical Center, formally known as known as Public Hospital District #2.

Public hospital districts play a crucial role in providing healthcare services, especially in rural or under-served areas where access to healthcare may be limited. They are designed to be responsive to local healthcare needs and accountable to the communities they serve.

As an elected commissioner for the hospital district out of Sequim, I know full well that Olympic Medical Center and its satellite clinics in Sequim and Port Angeles are vital assets to the health and well-being of our peninsula community, as well as the many visitors who travel to the region every year.

Not only is OMC the largest employer in Clallam County, providing superb care to our patients, but it also excels at delivering high level and essential services in emergency medicine, intensive care, labor and delivery, surgery, home health, cancer care and level III traumatology.

OMC always serves all people, which includes millions in charity care each year, and is powerfully influencer of our local economy. I am deeply proud of our OMC workforce — their dedication, efforts, and passion at providing service excellence are amazing — and appreciated!

It is a great honor to support Public Hospital District #2 with my yes vote on Proposition No. 1, so that our community hospital will remain vibrant and beneficial in the years to come.

Ann Henninger

Sequim

Editor’s note: Henninger is an Olympic Medical Center hospital commissioner. — MD

Time to vote

Send in your ballot for our Primary Election. Aug. 6 is the deadline to get our ballot returned. Voting is a powerful tool that shapes the future of our society. I don’t cherish arguing with my neighbor about adversity, division, conspiracy or deception. I do care, however, about expressing fundamental values I hold dear in our representative system of government.

Guiding principles I hold dear include fighting our common enemies:poverty, disease, ignorance and, finally, indifference.

Now please, get your ballot in for all of us!

William Biery

Sequim

Bertha wrong, again

I would guess that Bertha Cooper is a very kind person, but I strongly disagree with her political writings virtually 100% of the time and find them insulting to my intelligence.

One of the most insulting and untrue statements I’ve read in a long time was from her July 10 column in which she states that Trump “hates his country.” This is pure bunk; it’s exactly the opposite of this.

During Trump’s time in office we had a strong inflation free economy with the largest wage growth in decades, energy independence, a secure border, enemies in check, relative peace around the globe with no major wars, an amazing Israeli/Arab agreement and three great Constitutional originalist Supreme Court appointments.

Contrast this to what we have today with the Democrats. Wow, night and day for sure! From the best president in my seven decades of life to the very worst today, in fact in all of American history.

After all, what leader, or political party would purposely allow the full blown, uncontrolled invasion of their own country? We now have untold millions of totally unvetted people flooding in from more than 150 countries, many of which desire our destruction. This includes terrorists, MS13 , violent criminals, mental patients, drug pushers and it even appears to include enemy military freely being positioned inside our country. It’s not difficult to guess what their goal is!

And what leader would allow deadly fentanyl, mostly from China, to easily pour into America, causing untold heartache and misery.

No Bertha, it’s Joe Biden and Democrats who obviously hate this country as proven by their many America Last policies.

Greg Carroll

Sequim