You’re right — global warming is nothing to worry about

I want to thank Karl Duff for his excellent conspectus of the global farce being perpetrated by the left (“By any name, climate change isn’t a problem,” Sept. 31).

So-called “global warming,” currently being redefined as “climate change” is replete with foundational errors that replace science with emotion and politics.

More than 31,000 scientists agree with Dr. Duff’s assessment of the situation.

You can find out more at www.petitionproject.org

PHIL PAQUETTE

Port Orchard

Education

Liberals just making excuses for teacher’s actions

Re: Sonya Jones’ Aug. 27 Guest Opinion (“Can Washington teachers spell I-L-L-E-G-A-L?”):

Please keep this in front of all voters.

The governor will do nothing, as these are the liberals that have elected this clown.

Where has the rainy day fund gone? This is what happens when you have more people working for the state than for the taxpayers.

Keep up the good work.

ALLEN SMITH

Olalla

SK family in need of help

I’m writing to you about a homeless family that needs a break, and I’m hoping someone out there can help.

There is the mother, Amber (23 years old), the father Joe (23 years old), daughter Chloe (5 years old), son Robbie (3 years old), and Joseph (2 years old).

Four years ago Amber finally got out of an abusive relationship, (details too bad to explain) and met up with a guy named Joe. Joe loves the two kids she already had and, of course, the one they had together.

They have both had burger-flipping jobs that didn’t pay the bills, and state help, but most of those benefits have been exhausted.

They were evicted a month ago because they fell behind on the rent and have a $700 electric bill. The three children are devastated from losing everything and are showing signs of extreme stress.

Joe had gotten a job making $11 an hour, but not soon enough to prevent living on the streets.

Chloe is supposed to start kindergarten this year and is very excited, but the car they live in is starting to run bad and may not last much longer.

I’m looking for someone with the resources to give this poor family a jump start and get a roof over their heads.

I’m sure with Joe working now they could afford $650 a month if they had the funds to get started.

Not too many places out there for that price for a family of five.

I don’t know what else to do, so I’m looking for a compassionate person with the resources I guess.

Contact me at (360) 874-2131.

RICK LILLEY

Port Orchard

The fire district wants another levy?

Doesn’t South Kitsap Fire and Rescue ever get enough?

These guys can’t even live like the rest of us on a budget, and when we say no they just do an end run around our wishes.

You fire boys need to get a more economic life. Think of what they get paid for in Kitsap county.

This isn’t Seattle or New York.

Say to more taxes and benefits.

RAY ZAKRZEWSKI

Port Orchard

Skate park fundraising event a hit

I’d like to express a big public thank you to those who participated in the South Kitsap Skatepark fundraiser this past weekend.

It’s really cool to see Port Orchard pull together to help the kids as did with the SkatePark fundraiser at MoonDogs, Too, in downtown Port Orchard. Besides raising more than $3,000 for the South Kitsap Skatepark Association, I witnessed the leadership of the community expressing their highest support and encouragement to those working to establish a world-class skate park for Port Orchard.

A special thanks to Lesley Taylor for her work in pulling this fundraiser together.

Thanks also to the Port Orchard Independent’s Charlie Bermant, Mary Colborn and Celeste Cornish, the Kitsap Sun’s Rodika Tollefson and Mike Moore for getting the word out to the community about this great event.

Thanks also to our leaders — Lary Coppola, Jim Colebank, Charlotte Garrido, Commander Geoffrey of the Port Orchard Police and Kim Abel — for their support of the kids and this fundraiser.

And last but not least, thanks to all of you, who came down expecting to hear some great old-time rock n’roll, and as a result gave to the South Kitsap Skatepark Association.

Thanks, from all of MoonDogs, Too.

DARRYL BALDWIN

Port Orchard

Danielson will be a strict constructionist judge

Isn’t it refreshing to have a judicial candidate in Bruce Danielson who is an independent lawyer seeking office without crawling to his peers for their blessing?

The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights is not the living document that Socialists profess it to be. The institutional substance of its greatness is barraged by pseudo-intellectual judges who ignore its historic relevancy.

Why would you vote for one of those?

It’s time we elect a judge which understands the historical value of that document and will not prostitute it with convoluted interpretation.

The only defense to this onslaught of Democratic Socialism is to look for judges who at least have the institutional values of the founding fathers.

In holding his standards above the liberal agenda, Bruce has been castigated and judged not-qualified by the greater portion of the local liberal Bar Association

Yet his opponent Jeanette Dalton’s comments supporting the Supreme Court’s decision that terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay deserve the same legal rights of U.S. citizen makes me believe she is a hard-line liberal, not someone who would simply enforce the Constitution as written.

Why would any American believe the Constitution provides the enemies of this great nation the same judicial rights as its citizens?

Vote for Danielson.

DEAN H. JENNIGES

Bremerton

Dems politicizing nonpartisan judicial races

It has long been an understanding of political parties that direct support and endorsement of candidates in nonpartisan races has been discouraged. Unfortunately, the Kitsap Democrat Party appears to have ignored past practices and stepped up to identify and openly support those judicial candidates they believe will most assuredly promote the Democrat agenda from the bench.

In this day and age of activist judges, there can be no doubt that open party support is a message to the voters that Candidate X will be an activist, ignore the rule of law when it is inconvenient to the party’s desired ends and consider the Constitution a “living document,” subject to revision and interpreted as required to meet immediate objectives.

That the Democrats have decided to take an open, active role in nonpartisan races should give us all reason to pause and certainly reconsider any support that might be given to a candidate they support or endorse.

As chairman of the Kitsap Republicans, I have, over the past two years, opposed any effort by our local party to actively support any candidate at the party level. I have encouraged party members to support candidates who shared our values and ideals and to work enthusiastically for their election.

I though it was the right thing to do then, and I still believe that it was the correct stand.

Having said all of that, I find it is important that everyone know that the Kitsap Democrats are actively and openly supporting Jeannette Dalton for election as Superior Court judge. They also supported Greg Wall until his defeat.

There can be no doubt about the reason for that support. It is also important that I let you know that I am, personally, supporting Bruce Danielson.

This is not a party endorsement or a demonstration of party support but my personal choice.

For me, Bruce will bring to the bench all of the things that Dalton cannot.

Bruce is dedicated to enforcement of the rule of law and adherence to the American principles established in our Constitution. I am voting for Bruce and I hope you will also.

JACK HAMILTON

Silverdale

It’s OK to be judgmental about vandals

To those who live near the Little White Church next to State Route 16 adjacent to the Bethel-Burley overpass, we really appreciate the compliments about the grounds.

We also appreciate the fact that others have come and used our facilities for memorial services, weddings, worship services and support groups.

However, there are those troglodytes who just seem to have no regard for private — much less sacred — property as they steal ladders and hoses, sound systems and plants.

There are others (male and female) who love to come in and spin their wheels and spin their vehicle in circles while their tires damage the pavement surface and rip up striping.

We even had somebody (or somebodies) rip the doors off the storage shed when it wasn’t even locked.

When I caught one troglodyte stealing roses, I asked why he didn’t ask first. He made reference to his higher power telling him that he should get the flowers for his girlfriend and he didn’t need to ask.

What a great way to insult God and everyone I know who participates in 12-step programs.

Some may take issue with a pastor being judgmental and calling others names. Well, look up the term and one finds a description that truly captures the character of the subject: “A cave dweller who belongs to an earlier civilization.”

I think the definition goes a bit easy on what is truly meant, but it will do for now.

By the way, there is redemption for trogs too.

FATHER MIKE MORRISSEY

St. Bede

Episcopal Church

Cheney has done plenty to help Helpline

While I strongly encourage our community to support the South Kitsap Helpline, I am outraged by the manner in which Independent columnist Mary Colborn pointed a finger (“Helpline’s problems are all our problem,” Sept. 6) at Dr. Bev Cheney, recently retired South Kitsap School District superintendent, for a number of things she failed to do in her volunteer efforts with SK Helpline.

Bev quietly gave of her own time and efforts to SK Helpline, not as part of her superintendent duties, but because she is a caring and compassionate person who wanted to give back on her own time.

Her powerful positive example has inspired many of us to expand our own efforts to help our neighbors. Once, I light-heartedly scolded Bev for working so hard for the district and then giving so much of her free time to things like Helpline.

Her response was a reflection of the caring and gentle giant she is.

She said, “I live here, too, and just want to give back like anyone else.”

SK Helpline is a beneficiary of my Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) payroll deduction because it my quiet way of honoring Dr. Cheney.

Ms. Colborn has made it quite clear, in other public arenas, that she has bitter feelings towards leadership in the South Kitsap School District.

She is certainly entitled to her opinions and feelings, but it is irresponsible and hurtful for the Port Orchard Independent to allow her to use her community column to take inexcusable and blatantly personal pot-shots at individuals who have given so much of their positive time and energy to the needs of South Kitsap families.

Finally, at least compel Ms. Colborn to get the facts straight. Contrary to Ms. Colborn’s accusations, Dr. Cheney was a champion of the effort to get Boys and Girls Club and a summer lunch program into South Kitsap School District.

It started two years ago at Sidney Glen, where the pilot summer program was a wonderful success, including a summer lunch program that fed hundreds of children, whether they were enrolled in Boys and Girls Club or not.

This summer, thanks to Dr. Cheney’s efforts and generous community support, the programs were expanded to a second school, Orchard Heights.

While I appreciate the Port Orchard Independent’s commitment to local news coverage, I find it completely uncivilized for Ms. Colborn to use her column for an obvious personal attack.

At the very least, the Port Orchard Independent and Ms. Colborn should offer an apology to Dr. Cheney.

KATHRYN SIMPSON

Port Orchard

Why doesn’t Mary Colborn do more than point fingers?

While in a portion of a sentence Mary Colborn reported that … “past board member Bev Cheney and husband Don personally contributed (to Helpline),” she also condemns her in the same sentence by stating “but there are a number of things she failed to do.”

The South Kitsap School District seems to be a favorite of Mary’s to complain about. Now it appears she’s charging Bev Cheney with the lack of a partnership with the food bank and the school district.

If Mary was aware of such grants, why didn’t she take on that project and actually do something about it?

What have she done to find out if a partnership with Helpline and the school district could really exist?

If Mary is so passionate about a summer lunch program, then she needs to start her research on it now.

But don’t step on people who genuinely care and have personally contributed to Helpline.

Do something in the community that can be successful and rewarding — more than just attending meetings and functions so you have something to write about in your column.

JUDI EDWARDS

Port Orchard

SR-16 overpass will destroy animal habitat

Yesterday, coming home from Tacoma, I came upon the orange barrels for the new Burley/Olalla overpass on State Route 16.

I saw the Department of Transportation sign informing me that “my nickel” was at work.

Next to that sign, amidst the destruction of the trees and wildlife habitat was a deer, staring out at passing traffic.

It seemed ironic, near that sign stood a potential victim of habitat loss.

That made me think, “What if I didn’t want ‘my nickel’ reconfiguring that intersection?”

What if that deer felt the same way? How about the trees being bulldozed and destroyed?

Just how many folks benefit with the new intersection? Why couldn’t we just close it off?

While it benefits few, it is a huge expense footed by all.

Of course it is too late to stop the project now, (or maybe not?) but would it have truly been that much of an inconvenience for the few to travel a few more miles to the next on/off ramp?

I’ve heard the argument of emergency vehicles and accessibility. What is the difference fom someone living in the very rural areas of the county?

Have you observed the Purdy off-ramp in mid-afternoon? It’s crazy.

You have an on-ramp merging with traffic exiting the highway, and every time I have come through in the afternoon, it’s amazing to see the backups on the shoulder of the highway.

That seems more of a hazard than an intersection that could have been closed very easily. And with an affordable cost. (Oh, wait, it’s just a nickel.)

As with the Narrows Bridge, why wasn’t this project put before the voters for approval?

Has anyone entertained the thought to put a toll on the under/overpass for these folks benefiting?

Explain the difference, since even highways/freeways long since paid for are being considered to become tolled.

I think given the opportunity to state how I’d like my nickel spent, I would have chose that the commuter tolls on the bridge be reduced.

I will think of that deer often. And the other wildlife being forced from their habitat.

I will think of the stress their innocent souls suffer, all for the benefit of a few.

It reminds me of those who grumble when they see a cougar in their neighborhood, having been forced from is habitat.

Think, if you will, for just a moment how you’d feel if the bully came along and forced you from the comforts of your home.

ANN WELSH

Port Orchard