Driving up R feels like you’re driving on side of a hill
Who decided, and what functional reason required, that only the outer edges of the southbound lanes of R Avenue, but not the center of the road, would be ground down prior to repaving?

Now the road is super-crowned far beyond anything that I have seen elsewhere for recent road construction or reconstruction.

Driving in the left lane creates a distinctly unpleasant feeling of driving on the side of a hill, not to mention the additional tire scuff wear required to keep a vehicle traveling in a straight line.
Ross O. Barnes
Anacortes

Fired officer a good man who should get his job back
I am writing this letter in support of officer Bradford Stavig.

I met Brad many years ago when I was in the ninth grade at Anacortes Junior High. The boy I first saw as an annoying little seventh-grader turned out to be one of my dearest lifelong friends.

He was part of my wedding party. He was there for me when my father died, and every year, no matter what, he calls to wish me a happy birthday. He has also called me three other very special times in his life with great pride: at the birth of each of his children and when he became an Anacortes police officer.

I loved growing up in Anacortes but have ended up living in Gig Harbor. Brad has lived in many other cities and states but specifically moved back to Anacortes to raise his family. He constantly reminds me how beautiful it is there, how friendly everyone is and how much he loves the town we grew up in.

Brad does have 16 years of outstanding service for the Anacortes Police Department and a lifetime of being a wonderful citizen, son, neighbor, father and friend. He was so proud to be a police officer and he had an incredible rapport with citizens from all walks of life.

He is a good man who rightfully deserves to be given his position back. I hope for the sake of the home town, that I also love, that the mayor and police department will do just that.
Michelle Vallentyne Harrison
Gig Harbor

Driver who splashed women an embarrassment
As I stood on the support-the-troops corner in the rain on Sunday, Aug. 24, waving my Marine Corps flag in honor of the service of both of my sons, I was appalled by the driver who swerved over to the edge of the road directly in front of us to speed through a puddle to purposely soak all of us women standing there.

I realize that not everyone likes rooting for the troops with the same unconstrained pride that we cheer them with. And if our outlook doesn’t conform to other people’s politics, well, they have plenty of opportunity to speak their mind just like we do.

But when someone like this jerk comes along, who sees nothing wrong with using an insulting juvenile stunt as his form of free speech, it disrespects the genuine freedoms that our young men and women in uniform have fought to defend. It’s as if the drive-by was saying, “The First Amendment ain’t good enough for me — I got my own way!”

I know, I know — I should lighten up because it was just a pie-in-the-face prank, which for some crazy reason has become OK in today’s culture. But it makes me mad to think that some people are so insecure about their professed positions that they strike out at anyone who causes them to pause and reflect.

What kind of example does that set for others?

And finally, other letters to the editor claim that people on our patriots corner are the rude ones, but in the year that I have been going there I have never seen that group initiate anything, although they don’t hesitate to stand their ground either.

I hope that the people that threw up the water (and you know who you are) can learn to respect others’ rights rather than acting like pouting children who aren’t getting their way.
Joan Stewart
Anacortes

People reached out to support cancer walk
On Sept. 12-14, my husband and I will be walking 60 miles in the Breast Cancer 3-Day benefiting Susan G. Komen. Each walker has to raise at least $2,200 in order to participate. Thanks to a lot of Anacortes folks, we have each raised $3,000 and are still counting.

One of our fundraisers was a drawing for a Wii gaming system. Hundreds of tickets were sold throughout the county, most of them to members of the Anacortes Senior Center. So we weren’t too surprised when the drawing winner was someone from the Senior Center.

Thanks also go to Apryl Hurley and Annette Mendum of Impressions Salon and their customers. These two wonderful ladies donated all of their proceeds from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22. Apryl has also been a walker and crew member in past 3-Days.

It’s not easy raising thousands of dollars. We’re lucky to have so many people who have reached out to support the cause of ending breast cancer forever. If you would like to donate or want to know more about the event, check out http://www.the3day.org.
Christine Valdez