Letters to the editor for July 15

Drift-net fishing and restoring salmon

In the mid 1980s, I sport fished at Port Angeles. About 1985, fishing became poor. One news article told of a freighter found drifting off the coast with a cargo of dead salmon. There was talk of treaty-violating drift-net fishing in the area where salmon mature.

I spoke with a Coast Guard information officer in San Francisco who said it was indeed a problem. He said there was a problem of controlling salmon drift-net fishing and limited legal consequences for violators in the countries where the drift netters originated. They could tell when drift netting was going on by the numbers of scarred salmon present.

About the same time, news articles acknowledged our government knew of the problem but had more important priorities to address at the time with Pacific Rim countries. In the years that have passed, I have never seen much news about drift netting of salmon in the North Pacific. So a question arises: Has the problem of drift netting our salmon been resolved or has discussion of drift netting just gone away? Cleaning up streams, removing dams, and limiting who can fish probably can’t overcome decimation of salmon in the areas they mature.

Marshall Pace, Olympia

Scott Clifthorne the right choice for Olympia School Board

I am the mother of an incoming kindergartner and a community member who recognizes that strong public education forms the backbone of a functioning society.

While I first met Scott Clifthorne while competing against him in high school debate (even back then, he was bright and engaging and made friends with his opponents), as an adult, I have had the privilege of watching him lead the Olympia School Board with fortitude, insight, and deep personal commitment to the work of making public education succeed.

Despite the pandemic, which created unprecedented challenges for our schools, under Scott’s leadership, the Olympia School Board has made remarkable strides forward. For example, next year, every elementary school in the district will have an art, music, and physical education teacher for the first time. Next year Olympia also will see more school psychologists in our high schools, the hiring of a family and community engagement coordinator, and numerous other historic investments that set a course for our students’ academic and well-being recovery.

And Scott carefully considered and heeded the science around what school-day starting times make the most sense for kids of different ages, as part of a citizen advisory committee he led in creating and coordinating.

Scott has earned our support for a second term on the school board.

Andrea Schmitt, Olympia

Huffman for Olympia School Board

Why do I endorse Darcy Huffman for Olympia School Board?

As a 30-year teacher in the Olympia School District, a parent and grandparent of Olympia kids, a union leader, and 50 years’ experience working with or for numerous school boards, I unequivocally feel she’s the right person for our board. I’ve worked with Darcy in other capacities and witnessed her unflagging energy, vision, problem-solving, and acumen for details, communication, budget, and personnel matters, as well as her support of the ones who do the job.

Ethics, reliability, transparency and tenacity are her hallmarks; empathy for and understanding of students with special needs, including transient students, loom large and reflect her own experiences. And that experience includes working with staff, administrators and counselors on behalf of her own children.

I want someone like her who has shown me she can bring diverse groups and interests together, solve real problems, and speak truth. Her finance and risk management skills will further serve us taxpayers, the district, the teachers and staff, and most importantly, the clients: the students.

She is keenly aware that school workers all deserve respect, and so do parents and all the players, and they deserve a voice in decisions.

I attest to Darcy’s primary objectives as a board member, to make public education work for ALL families and to help schools teach to the whole child and bring all kids up to speed because each student deserves the best.

She’s energetic, with brains, heart, expansive experience, and leadership skills, and she’s got my vote.

Gary Gerst, Olympia