Kudos for their service

I was extremely saddened to read in the Gazette this week that two great men are resigning their positions as boys head basketball coach and athletic director.

I have known Greg Glasser and Dave Ditlefsen for the past 14 years through my volunteering at various high school sporting activities. I can say without a doubt that they are the two finest individuals that I have known especially when it came to mentoring the students at Sequim High School.

Greg is not only a coach but he was a father figure to those that he coached and taught. I was always amazed how he handled the kids during basketball games I always heard him shouting words of encouragement!

He always took the time to coach them and teach them. One of the community aspects that he incorporated every season was helping at the food bank on Saturday mornings. Focusing on what makes a good strong person.

He was more than just their coach; he was concerned about what was happening in their lives. He demonstrated this when he came to me on numerous occasions when he found out that there wasn’t enough food in a house; he contacted me, as the Food Bank Director, to help facilitate in arranging food for them.

Dave has worn many hats as the athletic director. Most people saw him at the athletic events never realizing he was the first one to arrive and the last one to leave, ensuring that the events went smoothly.

I also served with Dave on the student athletic disciplinary committee and was always impressed with the way he handled any disciplinary action with compassion for the student at the same time ensuring that the student understood why action was taken.

If community service was required of the student, he came to me as part of the Sequim food bank so they could fulfill their obligation by doing “good” in the community.

I want to thank their families especially their wives, Kim and Christy, who supported them and their tremendous hours that they put in helping the children of Sequim. They were more than coaches and AD, they are teachers.

That is the one bright spot in all of this. We know that they are going to continue being a beacon for those that enter their classrooms.

I was blessed that both of my children were taught by them and even today, years after high school graduation they say that these two people were favorites.

Thank you, gentlemen, take a bow. Well deserved!

Stephen Rosales

Sequim

Committee deserves praise for insurrection spotlight

Thank you to the Jan. 6 committee for presenting these hearings to the American people! It has been an excellent way to present Americans the plain facts and evidence.

A great deal of emphasis is being placed on warning Americans about the chaos to come from Trump, his allies and supporters for the 2024 election. That is great … but what about the potential chaos and violence for this year’s election? Numerous states are counting on local to federal government positions being filled by people who claim to believe in the “Big Lie,” that President Joe Biden is not the president and pledge their fealty to Trump and his allies.

Why is no one sounding the alarm about what will happen if these people are elected and hold various positions of government power?

Maybe if there are consequences, legal accountability for every person who broke our country’s laws trying to overturn the 2020 election, from the top on down, then maybe it will stop others from breaking our laws and their oaths to the Constitution now and in the future!

Something must change before it’s again too late. Americans were warned in 2015 what would happen if trump was elected, few people heeded the warnings and Jan. 6 occurred. Please, show the American people that anyone who breaks the law, breaks their oath to the Constitution or commits treason will be held to account for their crimes!

Thank you for your time and your service!

Lisa Travis

Sequim