Olympic Gymnastics Center, a gem of a gym

This letter is in response to an article about Cascade Elite Gymnastics West (CEGW) published Feb. 9, which stated several times that it has a “family atmosphere” in contrast to any other gym in Kitsap County.

As parents of a gymnast at Olympic Gymnastics Center (OGC), we find that remarkably inaccurate.

OGC was founded by its head coach, Greg Mutchler, more than 30 years ago. We find the gym, its staff, the girls on recreational and competitive teams, and their parents to be a large second family. OGC coaches, young and old, have provided consistent support and care for their athletes. Their guidance, training and inspiration have been a major part of the growth and development of the girls. They have gained confidence and skills that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.

When Frank Lee left OGC in 2011 with six gymnasts, it was a devastating loss to the OGC family. It still saddens us to think Mr. Lee did not appreciate the atmosphere that continues to thrive at OGC, though we are happy to hear he and his partners are content with the environment at CEGW.

OGC is highly respected in the state and region, with a long track record of success, experience, ethical practices and support for its own athletes as well as those of other competitive teams. We are proud of the banners and trophies celebrating the success of so many current and former competitive gymnasts at OGC. OGC has made a huge difference in our daughter’s life. We are thrilled to be a part of the OGC family, and we are so happy to have found this gym.

Jill and Erik Schweitzer, Silverdale

NK School District owes principal an apology

The news of the principal of Poulsbo Elementary School returning to duty is another example of politically correct hypersensitivity run amok. Claudia Alves, a respected long time educator in the North Kitsap School District, was put on paid leave for discussing two words related to the black population. Both words are in the Merriam-Webster dictionary. One is an old derogatory slang term that nowadays is wrongly and most frequently used by black rap singers.

A number of these award-winning “singers” rake in millions of dollars from sales of their music in spite of this. Who is buying this “music” and why are they not offended? The second is a term that was used for decades as a racial identifier, included in memorable speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King. In fact, a long time organization, the United Negro College Fund, Inc., still proudly carries this word in their copyrighted title and solicits and obtains millions of dollars from donors.

According to a recent annual report they received $167,085,418 during 2012 from contributors. Apparently these donors are not offended by the use of this word.

The hypocrisy is jaw dropping. In a discussion in an academic setting, must we now spell out certain words in the dictionary letter by letter? A “mistake” indeed was made, which was putting Ms. Alves on leave for doing her job. She deserves a published apology from the school district.

William Rieger, Bremerton

Thanks from CKSD

On behalf of Central Kitsap School District and the Board of Directors, we want to thank voters for passing our school support levy. We’ve had a levy in place for almost 20 years, and we are grateful for this steady support.

Levy dollars will help us bridge the gap between the funding we receive and the true cost of running a district. The school support levy makes up 20 percent of our budget and will aid nearly every area of our operations. It also gives us access to an estimated $9 million each year in additional state and federal money.

This levy renewal is a clear message that our community expects us to provide students a well-rounded education. But our community’s expectations go beyond student achievement. We also have a responsibility to use these tax dollars wisely. Our promise to our community is that we will keep your trust by being honest and open in all areas of fiscal management and district operations.

We encourage citizens to attend our meetings, review our budgets, ask questions and get involved in our schools. Thank you, once again, for your support.

Mark Gaines

President, CKSD School Board

Hazel Bauman

Superintendent