OPG

Reader’s not

down with OPG

I have read with great interest about various plans that John Rose and OPG have for Kitsap County.

I believe Rose’s vision is based on the profitability of his corporation, not the well being of the registered voters of Kitsap County, nor the long term economic viability of the Native Americans that depend upon the health of the environment.

Barb Fox,

Hansville

Driver’s ed

NKSD shouldn’t cancel the program

I am very disappointed that the school district is going to eliminate the drivers ed program. What next, reading and writing because they cost too much? We can fund sports but not have enough money for all students to have books, so they need to share with other students! My daughter attends Kingston High and after the parent teacher conferences I think they should start to look at teacher’s attitudes towards their students. Well, I am way off the subject, but it needed to be said!

We have just enrolled our daughter into driver’s ed as we feel the money we spend, $300, is well worth the cost of our daughter’s safety. Isn’t this what we are paying for — our children’s safety? We pay for a police officer to be at our schools to ensure our children’s safety, but it’s not important to have our children learn how to drive safely? “Their parents should teach them,” said one person. We choose to pay the school to teach our children to drive and yes we should continue to teach them good driving habits.

Epperson (who I’m sure took drivers ed at NKHS) stated the cost for 300 students is $112,000 which the state pays now? Where does the money go that we the parents paid, over $300 each, which equals $90,000.00+, and why do they need to buy a new car every two years? I wish I could buy a new car every two years.

Why can’t we get one of our car dealerships to donate (tax deductible) a car like they often do for charities? Someone in the education system is really dropping the ball toward our children. What next, it is too expensive to teach them reading, writing, math, etc. Looks like its coming to that since Washington state is at the bottom of the education score in the United States.

Julie Krucek

Poulsbo

Soccer stadium

Writer disagrees with editorial

“Let us be the first to check the ‘yes’ box.” This is the Herald editor’s opinion on a proposed professional soccer stadium for the Seattle Sounders in Poulsbo. I suggest we say “no” —

These are the primary issues I see with such a proposal: How will the challenges of traffic, parking, water, sewage and related infrastructure be met for a 6,000-person stadium?

Will Seattle fans (after all, this is their team) be willing to pay $30 or $50 more on the Bainbridge ferry to get to a game here?

One of the biggest issues that must be examined is the question of financial gain for our community; yes, there would be some tourist dollars coming in and thus a little tax money for the city coffers, but no large, continuing revenue stream or permanent family-wage jobs for local residents.

This perhaps is the main problem with the proposal — that our leaders are not working strongly enough to bring stable, living-wage jobs into Poulsbo.

Where is the future economic engine for Poulsbo — in part-time jobs at Wal-Mart or selling hot dogs at a soccer stadium? If there are not more sustainable and visionary economic bases for our community — there will be no reason for our technically or college-educated youth to return and settle here. The future of Poulsbo and its surrounding area will be a demographic only of retired people and tourists with little diversity.

Regarding the editor’s statement: “This community loves soccer … .” This seems a little presumptive on the editor’s part. Has there been a huge clamor for professional soccer by most area residents?

Granted, there’s a portion of our community —

Do the owners propose to change the name of the team?

So let us ask that community leaders focus on the long term and push for technological, environmental and other businesses that will provide living-wage jobs and career opportunities for the North Kitsap area. Let’s look realistically, and at the broader picture, of whether our community would gain any solid and future benefits from the Seattle Sounders moving to Poulsbo.

Laurice Riekki,

Poulsbo

City Annexation

It’s deja vu

all over again

The Tibbets Annexation as been denied twice now. In early 2006 a developer asked for the 20 acre parcel to be annexed.

The Planning Department asked for a much larger area to annex at least half of the UGA citing all the same reasons as now. Public Works and the Planning Department were asked by the City Council then to come up with a plan. Public works commented that the sewer plan can handle the UGA area and that the City Council all they had to do was ask and they could provide the information.

Here we go again round and round.

Steven Johnson,

Poulsbo