Time to come up with realistic plan for WHH
Clearly, the people of North Pacific County have spoken again and overwhelmingly defeated the Willapa Harbor Hospital Proposal for a new hospital and an unaffordable bond.
This time around, the rejection percentage was even greater than last year, 67.5% vs. 62.4%.
The question for the hospital now — where do you go from here? Do you rerun it again and expect a different result? Do you downsize your proposal and come up with a more affordable solution that will meet the medical needs for our community? We, the property tax-paying owners of the hospital and the renters, need to understand your intended plan of action.
Let’s skip all the marketing hype moving forward and stop using the same old talking points. Your future hospital plan may need to be significantly altered from a design standpoint and will, most definitely, need to change from a financial perspective.
Listen to the people! We have now delivered the message to you twice in overwhelming fashion. Please don’t ignore us! Before returning any proposal on a future ballot, do your homework, rethink your plan, talk to the majority this time around, listen and offer up something we can accept and afford. The ball is in your court!
JERRY BOWMAN
South Bend

•••

Protests are a grassroots reaction to Musk
In response to the letter to the editor on April 23 from Steve Relaford “resident” who says far-left tycoons pay for anti-DOGE protests. Oh Steve, apparently you can indeed make this stuff up, since that is clearly what you have done in your letter.
The protests were organic and nationwide and they addressed many things and not simply DOGE. Many people love to say that George Soros is funding this rally or that one. Soros is a billionaire who is a big philanthropist who funds many nonprofits and tends to root for the underdog. A lot of people claim Soros is pulling strings and running things behind the scenes. That is historically a tired but antisemitic trope. If that was your intention, shame on you. If you did not know that, maybe do some research before writing a letter like this or you may be cast in a bad light.
I am 99.97% sure that the majority of Americans believe as I do that there is waste in the government and we would like to see it rooted out and fixed, period. But Musk has gone after agencies that are either enforcing actions against his companies or cancelling contracts that he then bids on with his own companies. He is inside the government to try and get whatever he can grab for him and his friends.
The fact that he fires people in a wholesale way is problematic as well. It does not save us much money in the first place, and then, a court overturns that decision and we have to reinstate people that have been out of the job for a month, which means that we have to pay them for the month they did not work. That is extremely inefficient.
Good luck to you Steve. I will leave you with a quote:
“Open society is based on the recognition that nobody has a monopoly on the truth, that different people have different views, and that we must respect those differences.” —George Soros
HAND BRUHNER
Long Beach

•••

Due process is supposed to protect us all

People who disgust you or me, when living legally in the United States, have the same constitutional rights as our friends and family do.

Whether the case against Kilmer Abrego Garcia is as airtight as the federal executive branch says it is, or as flimsy as Trump’s opponents say, a judge had forbidden his deportation to El Salvador a long time ago.

Whether through carelessness or malice, the current administration violated the judge’s orders and sent Abrego Garcia to El Salvador anyway.

Both sides had the right to present evidence to a judge and request changes. One side used its power to deprive the other side of that basic right.

Standing up for others’ rights isn’t just altruistic. It’s the best guarantee that, when someone doesn’t like something we’re doing, the structures that protect everyone’s rights will still be there for all of us.

DAVE CUNDIFF
Ilwaco

•••

MAGA man should organize his own march

Hey there, Steve Relaford of Oysterville. I had to reread your missive about three times to make sure I got it right.

Okay, sir — I’m a retired health care professional on a Social Security income, along with some very modest investments that have, like everyone else’s, taken a nosedive since January. Money is always tight.

Imagine my surprise when you, along with other followers of the current occupant on Pennsylvania Avenue began posting that we were all paid to be involved in the Hands Off marches. Hmm.

I went to Deals (discount salvage store) to get my poster, picked a nice stake off my landlord’s wood pile (free), used duct tape and markers I got at Jack’s ( support local!), and showed up to exercise my right to free speech. Dear man, we didn’t get offered so much as coffee and donuts, much less payola. (Insert laughing emoji)

We were there to make a statement. And you can too!. Organize a march of MAGA-heads and have a good ole time. But I strongly suggest you cut back on the KoolAid — it’s not good for ya.
Ever so respectfully,

JEANNINE GREY
Ocean Park

•••

Mason seeks full term as Wahkiakum sheriff

I will be filing my candidacy next week for the Office of Wahkiakum County Sheriff.

I have dedicated my law enforcement career to the people of Wahkiakum County since 2013. Throughout these years I have put my leadership skills and ever-growing experience to good use as a community leader to the public and a team leader as patrol sergeant. For the last 10 months I have had the pleasure of serving as your appointed sheriff. These months have been filled with such great opportunities to partner with community groups and other county departments to ensure public safety preparedness and resiliency.

I am committed to providing countywide law enforcement, public safety, 911 dispatch, and emergency management. Since becoming sheriff I have overseen great advancements in the capabilities and skillsets of the office to include community preparedness education. This has been accomplished all while maintaining a conservative budget within our current means.

The officers and coordinators who serve at the sheriff’s office are crucial to ensure that the public safety needs of the community are met. Having firsthand experience with the difficulties and sacrifice it takes to serve in a rural county with minimal staffing, I know that officer wellness and resiliency is important to maintaining a healthy life. I will continue to promote the increasing nationwide support for officer wellness.

I believe in the rule of law and representing the interests of Wahkiakum citizens fairly and impartially. Community partnerships and transparency are key to running an office that is for the people and by the people. I have always been inspired by Wahkiakum’s history of good will, volunteerism and public service, and I believe that a community that takes care of each other is a healthier and safer community.

It has been my pleasure to serve this community, and I would love to continue to serve as your sheriff. If you would like to get to know me in person, I will be hosting a meet and greet at the Rosburg Hall on Wednesday, May 7, from 7 to 8 p.m.

JOHN MASON
Wahkiakum County sheriff

•••

May is Museum Month on the Evergreen Coast

This May, Washington’s Evergreen Coast invites locals and visitors alike to celebrate Pacific County Museum Month. This is a time to explore the rich history, heritage, and natural beauty that make our region. This year there are 12 participating museums across Pacific County, making it the best chance to rediscover the past and support the institutions that preserve it.

Museums are more than just buildings. They’re storytellers and foundations to our community. From the enduring legacy of the Chinook and Shoalwater Bay Tribes to the rise of fishing, logging, and cranberry farming, these museums bring to life the people and industries that built our coastal communities. Each exhibit offers a deeper understanding of the resilience, creativity, and connection to nature that define this region.

Highlights include the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco, featuring exhibits on Chinook history and the iconic Clamshell Railroad; the World Kite Museum in Long Beach, showcasing kites as global cultural icons; the Cranberry Museum, where visitors can trace the roots of local agriculture; the Northwest Carriage Museum in Raymond, home to beautifully restored 19th-century carriages; and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, which explores the famous expedition’s journey. Shoalwater Bay Museum where visitors can gain a deeper understanding of the tribe’s heritage and ongoing legacy through thoughtful, community-driven exhibits. These are just a few notable highlights; there are many more museums across the county, each offering unique stories and experiences worth exploring.

Whether you’ve lived here for decades or are exploring the coast for the first time, Museum Month is a reminder of the stories that unite us and the importance of preserving them for future generations.

Make this May a time to reflect, connect, and explore. Visit your local museums and experience the history that lives just around the corner.

WASHINGTON’S EVERGREEN COAST
Josh Phillips, director

•••

DOGE savings are full of hot air
In regard to Steve Relaford’s letter to the editor of April 23rd, I would first like to say that I agree with him that the headline of the April 9th Chinook Observer, “Hundreds march In support of national ideals” seemed a bit over the top.
Mr. Relaford claims that billionaire George Soros, among others, are paying for the kind of protest I attended in Long Beach. It’s entirely possible he’s right, but I can honestly state that the poster board and markers for my signs were paid for out of my own pocket. I was certainly not given a single penny to march by Soros and would like to think that if I were, I would have turned the offer down.
Any responsible person would undoubtedly agree that government waste — whether local, state, or federal — is a problem that should have been addressed long ago. We voters have bellyached about it for years. And then along come President Trump and Elon Musk promising to fix the waste by creating a whole new federal government agency, the Department of Government Efficiency — at what cost? By cutting thousands of federal workers’ employment? Tax dollars lost over all the years of their remaining employment?
When you go to the DOGE website, it claims to have saved $160 billion and close to $994 per taxpayer so far since the agency was created — far less than the $1 trillion originally promised.
RALPH D. WARNER
Ocean Park

•••

Don’t believe right-wing propaganda

I just read a letter to the editor in the April 23rd edition of the Observer. It was written by an Oysterville resident regarding the recent protests and ongoing protests of the Trump administration actions. These protests are happening all over the United States and around the world.

What a bunch of “hogwash” — the protesters are not being paid and everyone knows that! We have participated in the protests along with many other local residents and tourists. We are protesting the things that are happening in the present criminal administration such as illegal deportations, eroding of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, attacks on our universities and ill-conceived tariffs. This list seems endless. Not to mention the many insane cabinet choices.

We think the Oysterville writer should stop watching the disinformation channels and podcasts. Fox is not an accurate news channel, nor is News Nation. They spread disinformation and bias. Open your eyes to what is REALLY occurring under Trump. Silence is complicity.

DENNIS and MARION OMAN
Long Beach

•••

Letters policy
The Chinook Observer welcomes letters from readers. Letters may be emailed to editor@chinookobserver.com; or mailed to P.O. Box 427, Long Beach, WA 98631. Please include a phone number where you can be reached in case we have questions.
Please bear in mind these guidelines:
• The letters deadline is Thursday at 9 a.m. the week before print publication.
• We ordinarily only print one letter per writer per month.
• Readers’ letters debating intractable national issues and controversial politicians will be published on a space-available basis. Unless they are brief and to the point, they will be abridged by the editor.
• All letters should be limited to around 350 words, unless the editor agrees to an exception. Short letters are more likely to be published in a timely manner.
• All letters must be signed with the author’s true name and hometown. We do not publish anonymous letters.
• There is no guarantee any letter will be printed, and delays in publication are sometimes necessary due to space constraints and other factors.
• Letters are always subject to editing. While we endeavor to help writers clearly convey their intended message, we will delete content that is rude or known to be inaccurate.