Letters to the editor for July 28

Thurston County mayors support Medic One

As mayors of our communities here in Thurston County, we fully support and appreciate the Medic One Emergency Medical Services program. Since pioneering a countywide, tiered EMS response system in 1974, Medic One has consistently provided excellence and efficiency in delivering critical emergency medical services.

If not for the Medic One system, each community in the county would have to provide for its own emergency medical response service at great expense. By collaborating and creating the Medic One system, taxpayers enjoy the best EMS response at a reasonable cost. This continues to be the national model and communities across the country look to Thurston County Medic One when developing their own EMS systems. It is simply the best, and it saves lives.

No matter where you live in the county, Medic One provides support for rapid ALS (Paramedic) response and the training and equipment for hundreds of BLS Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) who serve their community fire departments. It is an efficient, dependable system that we are fortunate to have.

Even while being frugal and cautious in budgeting, revenue collection has fallen behind the voter-approved rate. Restoring that support over the next several years is an effective, affordable way to continue providing the service we hope we never need but expect to be there when we do.

We encourage you to support Medic One with your vote.

JW Foster, Yelm, for mayors Cheryl Selby of Olympia, Pete Kmet of Tumwater, Andy Ryder of Lacey, Wayne Fournier of Tenino, Robert Shaw of Rainier, Alan Carr of Bucoda

Thanks for the crosswalk, Olympia

Hooray to the city of Olympia! The intersection of Amhurst and Morse-Merryman gets lots of foot traffic to and from LBA Park. Cars road along Morse-Merryman. The speed limit is 35 mph but I think drivers think that is the minimum!

The city has been very responsive when listening to the neighborhood’s concerns, and, on July 21, the city put in the crosswalk! We really appreciate this. We understand that pedestrians had better be careful and look both ways.

Thanks for listening.

Paul Woolson, Olympia

Increasing wheelchair accessibility in local parks

Olympia’s parks offer unique environments for students to learn about the local wildlife. I remember going out into Nisqually Wildlife Refuge as an elementary school student and shivering in the cold morning air as we studied the ecosystems within the refuge.

Unfortunately, not everyone gets this experience. Wheelchair users are unable to go on many trails because the paths are too soft.

Thankfully, the city has chosen to construct accessible trails at Grass Lake Park. They will provide an opportunity for more citizens to appreciate the vast beauty of nature, and I hope this choice is made for more parks.

Annette Lu, Olympia

Boyer for Olympia School Board

Well, Olympia, it’s time to vote in the primary. And in one race we have an opportunity to show who we are: the Olympia School Board’s Position 3, with three candidates, Mark Boyer, Darcy Huffman and Gary Landis.

Boyer believes in transparency, connecting with constituents, and learning more about issues he isn’t completely knowledgeable about, such as special education and the challenges for students, parents, and teachers. Huffman, not sure where she stands — she never got back to my inquiry.

In addition, we have Landis, whose Voters’ Pamphlet statement includes white male-nationalist and racist declarations that are an affront to education and the values of Olympia and the nation. We should never give hate and ignorance a platform in Olympia schools. Let’s make the right choice and vote for a better school district for everyone. Full stop!

Andryea Grazier, Olympia