Thank You

EMS levy support was appreciated

On behalf of the entire team at North Kitsap Fire & Rescue, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation to the citizens of our district for reauthorizing our emergency medical services (EMS) levy.

We are so grateful for your support.

This funding is essential in our ongoing efforts to protect our community’s lives and property as efficiently as possible, through emergency response as well as through prevention. You — our citizens — are vital partners in this endeavor. We recognize that this partnership goes well beyond funding, and even includes the children who, with their families, protect their own safety through our fire and injury prevention programs.

Most importantly, an effective partnership requires your voice. We hope you’ll continue to contact us when you have questions, and don’t hesitate to provide us with your input. Once again, thank you!

Paul T. Nichol

Fire Chief, North Kitsap Fire & Rescue

Gillian A. Gregory

Chairwoman, North Kitsap Fire & Rescue

Board of Fire Commissioners

Dog Attack

Letter to the editor was not ‘erroneous’

Thanks to Dan Goebel of Keyport for his observing a ck of balance in the Nov. 10 “pit bull” letter.

I am confident that the other person who wrote in to claim my letter was “erroneous,” trusts the victim to relate to them an accurate account of the incident. The victim unfortunately, was indeed injured, but by a boxer mix and not a pit bull.

That the writer persisted in calling the dog a pit bull supports the point I am trying to make.

They purposely mislabeled the dog from the very beginning. There was negligence and bias throughout the investigation by the Poulsbo Police Department and the Kitsap Humane Society which was easily fed to media. Strong evidence, including pictures, has been offered to the N.K. Herald backing up my statements but the Herald chooses not to respond.* The word of someone who, no doubt, has never seen these photos, has been used to discredit my claims. I knew that dog. I know the owner. The dog was friendly like a lab, who was never a threat to children and had been in their company many times.

There are sins of omission in this story from the very gate, pun intended. The owner of the dog is the most conscientious person I know. She always pays attention to safety for herself and every one else. She had no record, not even a traffic ticket. We have known each other for many years now and not once have I ever known her to compromise her integrity.

I know few people, if any, like her. The American people have yet to comprehend fully, that these injustices, carried out under duress and followed by the offer of a plea bargain one cannot refuse, happen every day, all day long, in every city and state, across this nation.

Colleen Smith

Kingston

* The North Kitsap Herald has never received any information or photos from Colleen Smith regarding this incident. Also, it is important to note that she should not be confused with Poulsbo resident Colleen Smith, who was attacked by a dog in March.

Maybe letter writer needs to see article

Will you please re-print the story of the dog attack in Poulsbo for the benefit of Dan Goebel in Keyport?

Thank you,

Susan Kirkwood

Poulsbo

Editor’s Note: The North Kitsap Herald contacted the Poulsbo Police Department concerning the case this week. An updated story on the incident is on Page A8 in today’s paper.

Letters against tribes were a ‘refreshing splash of racism’

Wow. I’m amazed at some of the stuff that gets printed in you folks’ letters page. Anyway, here’s a response to a couple of people’s letters.

Hey everybody.

I propose that we give Ms. Susan Null and Mr. (or Ms.) Konan Kile a grateful round of applause.

These two wonderfully unpretentious folks gave us a refreshing splash of racism to wake us up from our politically correct slumber! While most folks in the area — by virtue of education, inquiry or logistics — understand that Indian tribes are governments and thusly have the same rights and responsibilities (such as police force, social programs, etc.) as other governments, Ms. Null and Mr. Kile are content to be blissfully ignorant of these facts.

I read, with utter joy, Null’s statement that she is “sick and tired of the Native Americans.”

How many people, after all, would be willing to be so honest and unapologetic in their prejudice? Not many. Still, her statement begs a few more questions: 1) Since she is so “sick and tired” of Native Americans (NAs, I guess), how come she continues to purchase gas at their gas stations? Merely so she can look at the receipt to see how high the price is? 2) Shouldn’t she be happy about road improvements, since “the darn state can’t even complete the highway corridor through Poulsbo on time or on budget” (that darn state!!!)? 3) Have you ever read a book (I heard myths of these places called “Barnes and Noble” and the “Library”…)?

But I digress.

However, since this is a congratulatory letter for the aforementioned people, I am going to run a short laundry list of things that I despise about the Kitsap County tribes:

1) I’m sick of them being some of the largest employers in Kitsap County and having the audacity to employ primarily non-Native employees; where do those NAs get off not reciprocating the beautiful racism that these backwoods rednecks display?

2) I’m SO tired of the tribes in Kitsap County paying money toward the county’s sheriff department and highways. How dare they? Don’t those darn tribes know that prejudice is the new tolerance?

3) Finally (because this could go on and on), I’m sick and tired of the tribes working out compacts and contracts with the darn state of Washington, and MOUs with Kitsap County. Don’t they know that natives and white folks are not supposed to sit in the same room, at the same table and work out compromises?

The nerves of these people.

Gyasi Ross

Poulsbo