Fourth of July and pets

Play it safe with animals and fireworks

For animals, fireworks aren’t festive — they’re frightening, and sometimes even fatal. Many dogs and cats flee in terror during fireworks displays, jumping over fences and even breaking through windows. Some animals are hit by cars and are crippled or killed during their frantic escape. Many are never reunited with their guardians. Birds often flee their nests in panic, sometimes orphaning their fledglings, and the smoke plumes produced by fireworks can damage their sensitive respiratory systems.

People can protect animals this Independence Day by following these tips:

* Keep animals indoors in a quiet, safe room, and stay with them during the fireworks.

* Close blinds and curtains, keep the lights on, and play classical music at a normal volume.

* Make sure all animals are wearing collars with current identification tags, and have animals microchipped.

* Never leave animals outdoors unattended, for even a second, or take them to fireworks displays.

* The deafening booms may cause even normally calm animals to panic and bolt, dig under a fence, or injure themselves by getting tangled in their chains.

* Encourage your city to switch from fireworks to safe and dazzling alternatives, such as laser light shows.

To learn more, visit www.PETA.org.

Lindsay Pollard-Post

The PETA Foundation

Norfolk, Va.

County commissioner elections

Retain Gelder

We need public officials who are motivated by good core values and a genuine devotion to public service. Rob Gelder ’s career has revolved around health care and social services.

He has shown that he cares deeply about people and has demonstrated strong management and leadership skills in a variety of demanding roles.

Rob Gelder was selected from a sizable group of qualified candidates for the appointment as Kitsap County commissioner because he stood out as the best choice.

Many politicians seem motivated by a need for attention and power – driven by values that change with the political climate.

They align themselves with whichever political block is willing to fund their ambitions.

It’s one thing to change political parties because of deep convictions.

It’s another to jump to another party because you think it will help your chances of getting elected.

Let’s hope voters can tell the difference between leaders whose decisions will reflect deeply felt values and opportunists whose decisions will be driven by political expedience.

Carolyn King

Silverdale

Primary elections

Thanks to the parties for limiting the choices of voters

Thank you, Republican Party; thank you, Democrat Party, for diminishing the one chance we have for booting commissioners who have failed to represent our district.

When the parties used the courts to kill the open primary, they set the wheels in motion that gave us the top two primary.

If there are only two running, then there is no primary.

To undo the damage to representative government, I urge both parties to ask the Legislature pass a law to elect commissioners by district in the general election.

Or move the election to the primary when only two candidates are on the ballot.

Matt Ryan

Bremerton