Sequim Gazette Editorial and Letters to the Editor

With the arrival of a new year, we find ourselves reflecting on a year gone by. It's the time of year when we make resolutions for the next year.

As we have done for the past two years, we've asked a few of Sequim's movers and shakers to share their goals and resolutions for 2008.

Does anyone wonder where 2007 went?

Lest it passed by you too quickly or without notice, we take a look back at 2007, beginning with what we consider Sequim's top story of the year - the election of four new city councilors.

Usually an off-year election isn't all that earth shattering, but in Sequim we found ourselves in the midst of several hot races and issues.

Republican Bob Forde challenged incumbent Democrat Steve Tharinger for the county commission seat, but voters decided Tharinger was their choice for a third term.

Stuart McColl took on incumbent Sarah Bedinger for the Sequim school board position, but voters didn't agree with McColl's so-called calculator law - specifically the removal of calculators from the classroom - and gave Bedinger another term as a school board member.

But the most exciting was the Sequim City Council race. Four people stepped up to challenge incumbent councilors, some who had served consecutive terms, and won seats on the council. Change in city politics was the underlying theme voters took to the polls.

Growth remained a concern to Sequim citizens in 2007 and from the looks of the number of homes planned in the next decade or so, will continue to be a topic of discussion for years to come.

Weather watchers found themselves without much to watch. After a cool summer that featured only a couple of hot, sunshiny days, a wet fall has morphed into a wetter, cool winter. Although rivers crested, fortunately the peninsula was spared the horrific floods that hit western Washington in mid-November. All in all, the Blue Hole continues to make the North Olympic Peninsula a quiet place to live year-round.

From a business standpoint, Sequim's economy remains strong. While we lost a couple of retail stores, Big Lots for one, we gained a few to replace them. Rite Aid built a brand new store, which opened just in time for the holidays, and Walgreens has already started construction on its store adjacent to Rite Aid. Fifth Avenue Furniture lost its lease, but was able to relocate in the former Big Lots bay. Office Depot and Sleep Country, USA opened in the west end of Sequim, along with several smaller shops.

And, we have a new roundabout to traverse on Washington Street in front of Costco. That makes three for little ol' Sequim. Remember, driving on the inside bricks can get you a big ticket!

We lost some leaders and friends in 2007, including Sequim pioneers Bob McCrorie, Tillie Campbell Baker and John Kirner; community leader Marie Angier, who chaired the Sequim Irrigation Festival for many years; and Sequim's Strongman Jesse Marunde, who died at the age of 27 while working out at a local gym.

The Gazette won 30 awards, as well as the general excellence award for the third year in a row at the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association convention in October. This is an affirmation the Gazette is doing something right and that we are serving you, our readers and advertisers, in a positive way.

Our promise to you is to continue bringing you the best in advertising and community news in 2008. There will be some tweaks to the paper here and there and a few new ideas and columns, so stay tuned.



And now for our guest resolution-makers, in their own words:



Lee Lawrence, executive director, Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce

In 2008, the chamber will focus on providing relevant value to membership through emphasis of the following key elements:

a) Customer retention and growth through world class, customer facing service targeting our current and future demographic,

b) Employee retention, health awareness, training, benefiting, etc.,

c) Owner/manager issues concerning matters affecting small, medium and large businesses, business finance, retirement planning, etc. and

d) Community involvement. The chamber will endeavor to utilize outside experts to present at chamber luncheons, events and seminars for the benefit of membership.

As Sequim continues to evolve based on the retirement demographic, our members will continue to experience business opportunities and the chamber will be there to support and assist in whatever way practical. It's a duty of all to help maintain the friendly community atmosphere we now enjoy and the chamber will work to provide business networking opportunities, take an active role in the community and provide unyielding support and referrals to membership.

The chamber owns the Visitor Information Center and operates it under contract with the city of Sequim through funding derived from lodging tax dollars collected within Sequim. We have more than 30,000 people pass through our front doors every year with their perceptions of our area, in many ways, shaped by their initial impressions and overall experience. With more than 50 volunteers staffing the VIC, it's apparent that our true value to visitors is the quality and sincerity of our volunteer staff. Many visiting VIC are here for vacation, some on business, many from the Sequim and Port Angeles areas and a growing number on familiarity trips to see if the Olympic Peninsula is the place they would like to call "home." We are taking significant steps to heighten the overall experience of those visiting the center including updates to the interior, improved computer systems for visitor use (free Wi-Fi is always on) and plans for "experience" areas to the east and west sides of the building. Our east side will be all about the heritage of Sequim-Dungeness, the front area behind our new entry sign (to be installed early January) will be dedicated to those utilizing the amazing Olympic Discovery Trail on either foot or by bike with the west side of the building depicting many of the wonderful features offered by our area like the New Dungeness Lighthouse, the Dungeness River, lavender farming, Dungeness Spit, local art and many other attractions that can only be found here.



Walt Schubert, mayor, City of Sequim

I like the idealism of New Year's. It provides a benchmark for new beginnings. Eight years ago, when I first ran for city council, there were specific goals I wanted to achieve. I thought once these were done, I would end my public service. To my surprise, each year I find there are more projects important to me. I would like to express to you a few of my goals for 2008.

1. Boys & Girls Club Teen Center stand alone building - This is a passion as well as a goal that I have worked toward for several years. This is an urgent community need and I want to see it accomplished this year.

2. North Olympic Land Trust - As an advocate and proponent, I want to continue and increase my support. We are seeing our farmland and open space disappear at an alarming rate. We need to come together and help this wonderful organization preserve every bit of open space and farmland possible.

3. Continue to provide adequate city infrastructure for now and into the future; water, sewer, streets, sidewalks, etc.

4. Continue to provide for neighborhood parks, develop an integrated pathway system throughout our town and maintain open space.

5. Complete our downtown sub-area plan.

6. Neighborhood emergency preparedness - See significant progress toward a comprehensive plan.

7. New city hall - Council agreement on a sustainable plan to fund and build a new city hall complex.

8. Communication/participation with our public. I will propose to the council two open forum town meetings for 2008.

I plan to work hard to make my goals come true. I have seen things I thought impossible come true in Sequim because of the commitment of the city council, city staff and our community. I know that with your help and involvement my goals are achievable.

My wish for the people of Sequim is a happy, healthy and peaceful new year.



Bill Bentley, superintendent, Sequim School District

On behalf of our staff and students, I would like to wish our community a joyous holiday season and a happy new year. The advent of the new year holds forth the promise of starting anew, to make commitments to spend more time in the service of others, and to make promises to ourselves to be healthier, happier, and hopefully to grow in wisdom. My hope for the new year for our students and our shareholders is that we will:

� Value all of our decisions in light of what is best for all our students while supporting the individual needs of each

� Express consistently how much we care. One of my favorite quotes is, "No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

� Recognize always that learning is joyous

� Set high standards and expectations of achievement in recognition of the unique talents and gifts each of us possess.

� Celebrate our success

� Work collaboratively in recognition of the fact that our truly significant accomplishments are those we achieve together



Jody Moss, executive director, United Way of Clallam County

United Way of Clallam County's resolution is to create lasting change in our communities._

_Every year, United Way partner agencies work to save peoples' lives and that work is obviously very important. However, in order to make lasting change happen in our county, we know we have to look further. We cannot afford to keep doing our work the same way, over and over again rescuing individuals.

Our vision is to tackle the problems that cause the problems from which people need rescuing. In order to do this we need to know what is most important to our community.

Through our 2008 Community Dialogue project, United Way is committed to finding the heart of what our community wants and needs for becoming a better place to live. The Community Dialogue project involves a series of focus groups where community members talk about four particular questions concerning their dreams, their goals and their hopes. Through this process, United Way will have talked to hundreds of community members representing all segments of our county and will end up with a road map of ideas for building a better community. With these results, we can begin new projects, new coalitions to address our most significant problems with permanent solutions.__

And while we are doing this important planning work, we also resolve to continue saving peoples' lives every day with the work of our wonderful partner agencies. We do this by helping families find a home, by building a wheelchair ramp for an older adult, by teaching a child and an adult the value and importance and a love of reading, by healing those who are ill in their body and their mind. In fact, by working together as a community, through volunteering our time, our treasures and our talents, we can all make a difference and save peoples' lives._

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Linda Rotmark, executive diretor, Clallam Economic Development Council

In 2008, The Clallam Economic Development Council resolves to continue to aggressively support business growth and development in the region.

We aspire to craft a new model of rural economic development services and activities that will energize economic success for the next three to five years and into the future.

We will act as the visionary agency that will optimize our county's business and entrepreneurial assets to grow a sustainable economy.

We resolve to continue to seek new partners, new resources, new opportunities and new ideas.

We resolve to be flexible and open to new ideas, solutions and opportunities. We will continue to respond quickly and work tirelessly for our businesses.

We resolve to actively seek business development opportunities that provide family-wage jobs with benefits that encourage young families to live in our communities.

Finally, we resolve to be fiscally responsible and organizationally transparent and measure our successes with a triple bottom line of economics, environment and equity.



Robert Spinks, chief, Sequim Police Department

It's the beginning of a new year! The holidays are winding down, celebrations are over and you feel enthusiastic because this coming year is going to be different, right? Tradition dictates that every 365 days we try to kick bad habits and start our life anew. This tradition dates back to 153 B.C. to the time of the Roman Empire - and yet we still have trouble achieving our resolutions!

Fast forward to today and we'll see people pounding the pavement or venturing back into the SARC with steely determination. We'll watch co-workers go "cold turkey" or don nicotine patches to kick that smoking habit ... again. Others will give volunteering another try.

The telling truth is that we fail dismally when it comes to sticking to our New Year's resolutions. In the back of our minds we hope that the coming year will be better than the one we leave behind. Truth is, in most cases we are the masters of our destiny - maybe our resolutions will help to reinforce that.

In the past, I've committed to working out, spending more time with family, to enjoy life more, to get out of debt, to learn something more, go for a vacation, help others and get organized. So far, the working out seems to have dropped off the last couple of years; I'm working on the quality family time; I do enjoy life; I'm still in debt - but, I did consolidate my bills; I finished my second master's degree in 2005; vacations are a bigger priority; my profession is a helping one and I'm better organized because I have a top-notch administrative assistant! In the long run, I'm doing better than many of my other resolution makers!

In 2008, I'm going to try recommitting to that list of partial successes and aiming at checking off every item this year as successfully accomplished! With that in mind, remember what Thomas Edison said, "The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."

Have a safe and secure year!



Michael Smith, executive director, Sequim Senior Activity Center

The Sequim Senior Activity Center was blessed in 2007 and was able to make great progress on all the resolutions made a year ago. We continue to be a thriving focal point for activities that seniors enjoy. Here are our resolutions for 2008:

1. We now have 1,350 members, an increase of more than 100 new members! For 2008 we hope to continue this growth. Membership dues are just $35 per year for individuals and $100 per year for businesses. Come join us!

2. We are welcoming several new board members plus one additional employee and look forward to all working together to move our center toward reaching its goals. We also will establish a community advisory board and are recruiting experienced people to help us with valuable advice and expertise of various kinds.

3. Thanks to our generous donors, we are getting close to being able to purchase a new comfortable bus for our trips. This goal will be accomplished in early to mid-2008.

4. Our capital campaign fund is newly opened and has begun to receive donations to enable us to plan for a new center to be built to meet the future needs of the area's seniors. We will need a minimum of two acres and $4 million to accomplish this. If you want to get involved with our capital campaign, let us know!

5. We will continue to seek opportunities to be involved with our community's younger members. Intergenerational events provide variety and promote understanding and appreciation on both ends of the age spectrum.

On behalf of the Sequim Senior Activity Center, its growing membership of 1,350, its 140 volunteers, its 11-member board of directors, its five employees and all our donors, I want to wish you happiness and blessings in the new year! If you would like to help by giving of your time or other resources to help us accomplish our 2008 goals, we would love to hear from you!



Steve Tharinger, Clallam County commissioner _

I would hope in the coming year our community could increase its focus on the triple bottom line, which takes into account not only the financial results of what we do but also the social and environmental impacts. Obviously, we have to manage our community investments wisely; but it is also important we continue to share and care for each other. It's equally important we account for how we use our land, air and water and the other natural systems we depend on. We have to make sure we are not overdrawing our social and natural resource accounts and have to work to reinvest in them whenever we can.

As a county commissioner, I look forward to continuing the collaboration with other government entities on the peninsula to improve services by finding efficiencies while minimizing redundancies, as we all work to provide the ever-increasing demand for services with diminishing resources.



Kevin Van De Wege, state representative, Sequim

I'm resolved to have another successful legislative session representing the 24th District, building on the success of the 2007 session, where seven of my bills passed.

Also, seeking increased Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing and assisted living homes. We cannot have our elderly without money - or who have spent all of their money on nursing homes - be kicked out as they go onto Medicaid, as we saw recently at Victoria House in Port Townsend and Wisteria Cottage in Sequim, both now closed.

I want to continue to use my position on the General Government and Audit Review Committee to control government spending and growth to ensure wise spending of our tax dollars.

I will work to promote cogeneration use in our pulp and paper mills with a tax break to help keep them in business creating good jobs and environmentally friendly local energy.

We must have more oversight of the Washington State Ferries so we don't again lose a ferry run that dramatically affects the Olympic Peninsula.

I'm resolved to fight for my district using my new role as vice chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

Remaining highly accessible will again be a resolution for me. I'll seek to accomplish this by working long days in Olympia to have time to hear everyone's ideas and issues, as well as traveling the 24th District doing town halls and meeting with constituents.

And should my neighbors agree with this work, that they allow me to continue representing them in Olympia by re-electing me to a second term.

At work, I'm resolved to do my best to help my community in my fire department jobs.

My top resolution though, is to continue the health and safety of my incredible wife and two wonderful children. I couldn't do any of these other goals without them.



Bob Schilling, executive director, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula

My resolution for 2008 is "to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens." Many of you will recognize those words as our mission statement at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula.

Each day, the staff at our two clubs work hard doing just this, yet we have so many more youth to serve. To reach more youth, we will need more from the communities we serve. To do this, I plan to establish individual community advisory committees that will work with the existing board members and staff to reach our 2008 goals in a fun way!

When I speak of "communities" I am not speaking just to local business owners but to parents, grandparents and retirees who are enjoying the impact your local Boys & Girls Clubs are having in your area.

The clubs has proven to have an impact on youth, an impact on families and an impact on communities. To learn more about joining us and being a part of this impact, call me at 683-8095.

My resolution for 2008 is to have an impact! Come join us ... it will be fun!

Happy New Year from the staff and board members from the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula!



Bill Benedict, Clallam County sheriff

_For 2008 I would like to accomplish the following:

_(1) Become fully_accredited using the_Washington Association of Sheriffs and_Police Chiefs (WASPC) standards._Accreditation brings our agency in line with the elite_law enforcement agencies of Washington state and_helps_ensure professionalism, accountability and responsibility.

_(2) Implement the Citizens Advisory Committee authorized by the Clallam County_board_of commissioners this summer. Thirteen citizens have been selected_to represent their communities on this committee._An organizational meeting has been set for January to_begin developing an agenda for the committee to focus on. I am indebted to_Alan Barnard for his insight and wisdom in getting the committee established and organized. I look forward to the January meeting.

_(3) Work with the public, our commissioners and other elected representatives to develop a practical, viable and fair way to address public safety funding needs. The next five years are going to_present a_tremendous challenge for our community to maintain public safety at levels mandated by law and expected by our citizens. We must plan now to prevent future crisis.

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