WHIDBEY
OPINION Page A6
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Saturday, June 7, 2014 • Whidbey News-Times
IN OUR OPINION
Graduation advice may seem cliché, trite, but it’s true Parents, relatives, teachers and classmates will shower 2013-14 Oak Harbor and Coupeville high school graduates with advice and words of inspiration. Most of those words will follow along the lines of … • Take advantage of your education. • Don’t settle for second best. • Follow your heart. • Make your mark in the world. • Serve others before yourself. • Remember, this is only the beginning. These ideas are all common, corny and cliche. They are also very sound advice. We applaud the dedication, work and commitment of the most recent Whidbey graduates. We recognize that the school experience was different for each individual. Some marveled at the new knowledge they obtained daily. Some found it torturously mind-numbing. Some soaked up the social interaction. Some wished they could have attended school alone. Some excelled in the many avenues of expression, be it academics, activities or the arts. Some found school life mundane and boring. All, however, are handed the same diploma. Now what? A very demanding and somewhat demented teacher once said, “That hollow sound you hear when your head and a book collide is not the book.” He got it wrong. In his arrogance, he saw the book as the ultimate in education. A book, however, is just a static tool. The mind, no matter how ignorant or shallow he thought it was, is dynamic. You, not the book, will determine your fate. So, grab that education, pursue your dreams, positively impact others — you know, all those cliches — because they are not trite, they are right — and see what you can do. Adulthood will be fun, painful, exhilarating and sometimes just plain weird, but it will be your life. Good luck to the Class of 2014.
News-Times whidbey
Published each Wednesday and Saturday from the office of The Whidbey News-Times 107 S. Main St., Ste. E101 • P.O. Box 1200 Coupeville, WA 98239 (360) 675-6611 • (360) 679-2695 fax On the Internet at www.whidbeynewstimes.com
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Jet noise
Write representatives, warn about COER Editor, As I sat down the evening of June 4 to watch the local news and eat my dinner, who should appear on Channel 4 news but Mr. Michael Monson. He was out spreading more of his lies about the Outlying Field Coupeville, the Navy and our local realtors. As I tried to keep from choking, he stood there on TV telling the reporter the class action suit that is being brought against the realtors is justified by the lack of a notice about the jet noise. He told the reporter he never received any kind of notice, which we already know is a lie, and then stated if he knew about the OLF he would’ve never bought his house. He also went on to state that he and his cohorts are not anti-Navy, he just wants the Navy to spend millions of dollars to move all the EA-18 Growlers to anywhere but here. Mr. Monson, in my humble opinion, you and your group are liars, anyone
with any intelligence when they see a sign about government property with a runway on it would ask what it’s for. I’m sure you got a killer deal on your property and now blame everyone but yourself for the predicament you are in. I also firmly believe your goal is, if they offered to buy you out, you would jump on the deal, as you have already stated you would not have bought in the first place. I urge all Navy supporters to write your representatives and let them know these people are not to be trusted, their goal is to close Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, and they don’t care what economic damage they cause. Michael Van Voorst Oak Harbor
No surprise you find COER in word ‘coerce’ Editor, I noticed that, if “CE” is added to the end of COER, it spells “COERCE.” I find this interesting in the light of Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve’s methods to try to shut down Outlying Field Coupeville. I truly hope that the right decision will be made for the right reasons.
Whidbey Island Naval Air Station needs the OLF Coupeville and Oak Harbor needs the Navy’s presence. Alex Malone Oak Harbor
Maybe airplane noise does effect health Editor, I have lived just outside of the SeaTac Airport noise zone for more than 20 years. When I worked eight to 12 hours a day, the noise from the planes wasn’t so bad, if you didn’t mind turning up the TV or stopping conversations indoors, on the phone or outside when chatting over the fence with your next-door neighbor. How could I complain? After all, I bought a house close to the airport. A convenient and a positive selling point, but I had never lived by an airport before. Sure, it’s still convenient, but if I had the option I would gladly toss out convenience just to have some peace and quiet. Then came the third runway. Hadn’t we suffered enough? I was sure we voted it down … guess not. SEE MINUGH, A7
Executive Editor & Publisher........................................................................................ Keven R. Graves Marketing Representatives.........................................................................Phil Dubois, Debbie Leavitt Associate Publisher..............................................................................................................Kim Winjum Creative Manager................................................................................................................. Connie Ross Co-Editors........................................................................................ Jessie Stensland and Megan Hansen Lead Creative Artist...........................................................................................Michelle Wolfensparger Reporters.............................................................Michelle Beahm, Janis Reid, Ron Newberry, Jim Waller Creative Artists............................................................................................. Adine Close, Jennifer Miller Administrative Coordinator............................................................................................Renee Midgett Circulation Manager...................................................................................................... Diane Smothers Senior Marketing Representative...................................................................................Teri Mendiola IDENTIFICATION STATEMENT AND SUBSCRIPTION RATES The Whidbey News-Times (ISSN 1060-7161) is published semi-weekly by Sound Publishing on Wednesdays and Saturdays for $19 for 3 months, $29 for 6 months, $45 per year and $75 for 2 years delivered by carrier in island county from North Whidbey Island to Greenbank; $20 for 3 months, $32 for 6 months, $52 per year and $94 for 2 years delivered by in county mail from Greenbank to Clinton; $35 for 3 months, $65 for 6 months, $105 per year mailed out of county. Payment in advance is required. It is published by The Whidbey News-Times PO Box 1200, Coupeville, WA 98239. Periodicals rate postage paid at Coupeville, WA and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Whidbey News-Times, PO Box 1200, Coupeville, WA 98239. Copyright © 2014, Sound Publishing
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