River Peoples Exchange joyful
To the Editor:
The Second Annual River Peoples Cultural Exchange in Lyle on May 15 was a joyful celebration of growing friendships, increasing goodwill, and shared experiences. It embraced the Lyle community, citizens of Klickitat County, and the Columbia River Native Americans from a wider area.
The enthusiasm of the Sam Jim Family and their diverse talents and interests brought us much pleasure. Bernice Jim is dedicated to passing on the traditions and skills of the Roosevelt Band of the Yakama Nation to her grandchildren. By offering fry bread and native arts and crafts at their booth, the grandchildren are learning by doing. She teaches them to make Wing dresses that they wear while entertaining us with traditional dances. The dancers this year were Clarissa, Lianna, Marybell, and Shelley Jim and Sierra Jackson.
We appreciate our Goldendale friends for coming the distance to help us realize the greater community of the River People.
Portia Masterson
Lyle
Keep ambulance service in house
To the Editor:
I went to the hospital board meeting recently. To say I was disappointed is hardly worth mentioning, except for a few things I learned. It mostly concerned the next expenditure our board is considering, which is contracting out our ambulance service to outsiders. This is so unacceptable on so many levels I can’t even get my brain around it.
The first and most obvious is the fact that outsiders have no knowledge of our way of life; they have no connection to the people here in this tiny community. When the ambulance goes on a call, it’s more than likely one of them knows the patient and the patient feels safer in the care of a person they’re familiar with. Secondly, if the board does do this, they already have the person in mind and he comes at a very high price: $95,000 per year. That’s $7344.00 a month, $1827 a week, $365 a day, and $46 an hour, whether or not he works an eight hour shift.
Patient care should come first. And in my mind, this means keeping our ambulance crew that we’ve had for some time now. Not new people, not outsiders. New is not always better.
Please, keep the ambulance people have had for a while now. They know us, we know them, and most importantly, we trust them. Please, just this once, listen to your townspeople. We know what’s best for us.
Joyce McKay
Goldendale
Good partners
To the Editor:
The Klickitat County EMS & Trauma Care Council has been greatly helped by the Lyle Lyons Club, which offered the use of their building for EMS training. It is ideally suited for lecture and practical training and is centrally located within Western Klickitat County, where 19 Basic EMT students call home.
The Klickitat County EMS & Trauma Care Council is committed to enhancing the knowledge and experience of all our EMS personnel allowing them to better help the public in a moment of crisis. The Lyle Lyons club is an appreciated partner in this endeavor.
Jim Carley
Klickitat County EMS & Trauma Care Council
Know when to quit spending
To the Editor:
I disagree with those accusing Obama and Congress of spending money like drunken sailors, speaking as a former drunken sailor.
When I was a drunken sailor, I quit when my money ran out.
Butch Mesecher
Goldendale
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