Letters to the Editor

Dear Ilwaco Civic Leaders,

About a month ago you published a letter about the Ilwaco fire chief’s office being broken into, orchestrated by their mayor, and fire chief Tom Williams’ recent retirement. Hearing about this…

I would like to take this opportunity to ask for voter support of the Willapa Valley School District maintenance and operations levy.

This is a letter in support of mayoral candidate Michael Cassinelli. I have lived in Ilwaco since 1990 when we came here in with the Coast Guard. I have seen mayors come and go in Ilwaco. I wo…

I would like to offer a huge thank-you to whomever placed the awesome half-page thank you to Dick Sheldon in last week's Observer. So many of us wanted to say or do something to let him know h…

In his letter published on Oct. 13, local Scot Calhoun treated us to his interpretation of the Dunning-Kruger effect. To quote Mr. Calhoun: “Science tells us that a psychological phenomenon kn…

There are more than 70 candidates listed by name in the Pacific County Official Local Voter Pamphlet for Nov. 2, 2021. Sixteen of you bothered to make some sort of statement in it to the publi…

We often hear our elected officials and the media use the phrase Tip O’Neill made popular in modern politics. This common refrain, a reference to taking national or state contests to the local…

I have submitted this letter to our county commissioners for their consideration and offer it to our community a a compromise to consider.

This is the ongoing saga of a street sign that began during the ice storm.

As we choose future leaders, I would like to praise Gary Forner’s service as mayor of Ilwaco. Mayor Forner has been a careful team-builder, consensus-builder, and problem-solver. Those qualiti…

As the son of an undocumented immigrant and of a bipolar second-generation American, I feel in a position to use both terms — undocumented and bipolar. Having already written about the former,…

I would like to address Biden voters:

As the old saying goes, “you can't fix stupid.” And while this may be true, recent history has shown us you can manipulate it. You can encourage it with lies and disinformation, you can shape …

Truly it is hard to know where to begin in response to the Long Beach Police Department’s hire of former Seattle Police Officer Duane Goodman. He behaved in a disgraceful manner on at least th…

In last week's letter written by Laura Bohlmann, she addressed the problem with speeders on the Peninsula. I totally agree and want to add my two cents!

Regarding the letters offering differing opinions about my suggestion of compromise, thank you, but you seem to have missed the part where I clearly stated I am in favor of vaccinations and wi…

Many of you may not be aware, but there exists a state construction stockpile site on U.S. Highway 101 near milepost 7. For some time now, it’s been unlawfully occupied by mobile homes, traile…

Do vaccines protect and/or prevent covid? I first want you to know that I am not a conspiracy theorist. I am not an extremist (left or right). I am an U.S. citizen who wants to make decisions …

I read Bonnie Lou Cozby’s letter of Sept. 29 on the same day that the United States’ covid death toll reached 700,000. Her statement that the pandemic heroes of essential work are now threaten…

I am responding to Bonnie Lou Cozby column on "Compromise! Allow testing instead of mandated vaccination for covid."

My letter has two very distinct parts and is about the feature article on page B11 in this week's Observer.

The forthcoming Dylan Jude Harrell Community Center looks to be an incredible installation that will bring so much vibrancy to the Port of Ilwaco, and indeed the entire Peninsula. Providing a …

How very nice and how very ironic that we are to have an exhibition of banned books at the Ilwaco library.

You're on Beach Time! Drive like your kids live here! I see these signs up and down the Peninsula, on side streets and main streets, I wonder if law enforcement sees them?

Tom Williams, the recently retired Ilwaco fire chief, was the first person my husband and I met when we moved to Ilwaco in 2001.

An open letter to the Pacific County Board of Health/Commissioners, Lisa Olsen, chair; Frank Wolfe, commissioner; Mike Runyon, commissioner:

Residents of Ocean Park along with many seasonal visitors and residents have created a 10 a.m., activity called pickleball across the street from the Ocean Park Grade School. This is a free ac…

As I was channel surfing this Sept. 11, I landed on CBS just in time to hear Kamala Harris, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, proclaim "diversity is our strength."

Some things your health care workers hope you understand:

I’ve known since fall 2019 that the Observer devotes more space per issue to letters on matters of local interest than on those dealing with “controversial national politicians and intractable…

The 4th Annual Peninsula R&B Festival was held Aug. 27 AND 28, and we couldn't be happier with the outcome. We had strict protocols in place, including proof of vaccination or recent negat…

A big thank you to the Ocean Park Eagles for putting on a great event for the community to benefit Ocean Park Elementary School.

During the Vietnam War my husband Ed Leonard and his buddies were captured in Laos. They came home because President Richard Nixon would not abandon them.

I read "Coast Chronicles" by Cate Gable each week and enjoy it very much. I would like to respond to the "Rant of the Week" in the Sept. 8 edition.

We need to look at the covid statistics in Washington and Oregon. As of today 66% of Washington residents have been fully vaccinated. Of these people there have been 220 breakthrough deaths. I…

The Goodwin family would like to say a special thank you to the following friends who helped, in many ways, to support our family during my mom’s battle with cancer. We could not have done wha…

This is in reference to last week's guest column by retired president of the Association of Washington Business Don Brunell, "Vaccinations vital to improving employment situation":

There were a couple of letters in last week's Observer that kind of tickled me. One was from a lady who lives on the west side of J place and the other was from the business manager for the Su…

To the residents and vsitors of Ilwaco:

In Sydney Stevens' latest, "Elementary, My Dear — Changes are inevitable," she makes a few statements with which I take objection.

First of all, my husband and I love trees — and have been tree huggers since before that was a term. When we retired and found a place that we could afford on the west side of J Place, that ju…

As readers may know, I have been writing about regional shipwrecks for perhaps half a decade and researching the subject since about 1980.

I read the column by Cate Gable in this weeks’ paper. Her last three paragraphs were “Surfside’s tree trouble.” I have trouble with her article. She states, “I heard from a friend that there w…

Pacific County appraisers are starting inspections in the north part of Pacific County in the areas of Raymond and South Bend as well as Grayland and Tokeland areas. This will continue through…

This is a salute to the volunteers who helped set up, sell, and take down the successful book sale hosted by the Naselle Friends of the Library Aug. 25 through Aug. 28. And special thanks to t…

In a recent Observer, Gregory Zschomier expressed his concern about Americans losing their freedom and the time for “true patriots” to take action to defend their rights. He cites several clas…

While I was not at all surprised to find a letter in the Observer ranting about “freedom” in the all-too-familiar voice of our local Trumpistas/anti-vaxxers, I was curious about the writer’s u…

On July 31, I held a celebration of life for Bradley H. Bauman. It marked one year that he has been gone.

Covid-19 vaccine is pretty safe — not perfect, but it’s pretty safe. Covid-19 infection is many, many times more dangerous than the vaccine!

It’s always the little things at first — the seemingly innocuous personal freedoms like consumer fireworks, mask-wearing, a vaccine, gun rights, etc. If the elite oligarchy can’t buy you or fo…