Letters to the Editor

Peninsula Daily News

Sunday, July 22nd, 2012

I'm writing to express unfettered support for Dale Holiday's candidacy for Clallam County commissioner.

She has every quality necessary, including the ability to understand the deep and unshakable connections between various systems - economic, environmental, health, public well-being - when considering and making decisions.

Her work with the North Olympic Land Trust shows she understands the value of sensible conservation.

Her work with the Olympic Peninsula Tourism Commission underscores her knowledge of the need for economic development.

Her Ph.D. in planning demonstrates the skills and experience needed to not only come up with a positive vision for Clallam County, but implement it, which would provide a vibrant future for all of us.

She glides steadily through choppy waters. Modest and organized, she neither gloats nor sighs. I can seldom back anyone running for a public position but believe she'd be effective and a good listener.

With no reservations, she's got my vote.

Helen Sears
Port Angeles

Friday, July 20th, 2012

I am a student and a working single mother. I moved to the Peninsula to give my daughters something I would not have had the opportunity to in Seattle, where we are from.

We live in a safe neighborhood and have a small home with a front and back yard, and we are surrounded by natural beauty. I could not ask for more, almost.

My only wish is the financial health of this beautiful community, where living-wage jobs don’t seem so scarce, where the community itself is thriving.

We have so many resources, including Peninsula College.

I feel a resonance with Dr. Dale Holiday, her values and her own background, with my story, a story that isn’t all that rare. Dale understands preserving what we cherish most about where we live and wants to see us thrive. Her education and experience in community and environmental planning is so important.

I appreciate her forward-thinking nature that understands that economic and environmental sustainability are not mutually exclusive and must be partnered in any long-term answer to our fiscal future. She does not shy from taking a hard look at costly inefficiencies.

From her work in youth drug and alcohol abuse prevention to her work in land planning, I feel Dale possess a necessarily broad perspective that encompasses a multifaceted understanding of our community's needs.

As far as I'm concerned, Dale has my confidence and vote for county commissioner.

Viola Ware
Port Angeles

Wednesday, July 18th, 2012

I first met Dale (Holiday) and her husband Max (Mania) while they were settling into their home on Fourth Street, and my impression was they were very interesting people and we had much in common.

As time passed, and I began to know them better, I realized just how intelligent Dale was and how varied her life experiences were. I was constantly surprised at her knowledge and her ability to use knowledge in one field to answer questions in another.

At the League of Women Voters panel discussion on July 8, you could have seen her in action. During the question-and-answer period, her answers were concise and clear, and she offered a true vision for the future of our county and expressed her intention to assure help for the elderly and our youth.

It was easy to see that her experience in the area of planning will enhance the overall functioning of the county Board of Commissioners.

Compared with the other candidates, she is the one who will truly make the best commissioner.

Donald F. Patzman
Port Angeles

Tuesday, July 17th, 2012

While I may well have turned Clallam County on its ear in my novel West of Here, may have ruffled a few feathers with my (at times) less than flattering portrayal of it throughout its storied lineage, many Port Angeleans will tell you that I managed to capture the spirit and essence of the place.

A big part of that spirit is the stubborn determination and dogged resistance to conformity, socially, politically, culturally, that Americans have come to know as rugged individualism. Clallam County may be a little rough around the edges, a little troubled economically, a little haunted by its early optimism, but it's most assuredly a bastion of rugged individualism. A place whose rugged natural grandeur is matched only by its surprising cultural contradictions and unexpected treasures.

I number Dale Holiday among those treasures, and I believe strongly Port Angeles would be blessed to call her county commissioner.

Not only does Dale embody the spirit of the place, but her education and experience make her the perfect candidate: a Ph.D. in planning; studies in socio-environmental impacts of ecotourism in rural coastal communities; project management experience in road projects, waste management, substance abuse prevention.

Hello? She was tailor-made for the job!

The cherry on top is that Dale really and truly loves this place and is committed to its future whether or not she's elected.

Please vote Dale Holiday for county commissioner.

Jonathan Evison
Sequim

Sunday, July 15th, 2012

I have seen many letters regarding Dale Holiday for Clallam County commissioner. They all make me smile because I know Dale and what a capable person she is.

I would like to share, on a more personal basis, that she is a considerate, compassionate, even-tempered person. I have never heard her say anything bad about another person. Dale is a team player with a "can do" attitude.

With her confident personality and a wealth of planning experience, I feel she would be an excellent choice for Clallam County commissioner.

Darla Workman
Port Angeles

Sunday, July 15th, 2012

We've got a wonderful chance during the upcoming primary to choose a great county commissioner, a person who is actually trained in planning, experienced in our own county affairs, deeply committed to solving the problems that are crowding into our lives and a proven, effective leader.

We can put Dale Holiday to work for all of us when we go to the polls this year. I don't think there is anyone who is more knowledgeable about the problems we face here in Clallam County than she.

Dale will work hard for all sectors, including businesses, farmers, tourism, retirees and workers of all stripes - with fairness and impartiality, as she is not beholden to any one group.

She's a person of integrity that we can trust.

I've known Dale for several years and watched her perform in many different situations. She's someone I know I can count on to do the wise thing - the right thing - for me and all of us as our county commissioner during the scary years just ahead.

I hope that many of my fellow voters will have a chance to meet and talk with her. I believe they will agree with me and "Vote Dale," too, in both the primary and general election.

Ann Gilsan
Port Angeles

Friday, July 13th, 2012

Clallam County needs and deserves leadership that is well-informed, thoughtful and responsible. That means doing what is right rather than what is expedient or popular.

Dale Holiday, candidate for Clallam County commissioner, is that kind of leader: smart, fearless and clearly committed to the greater good of our community.

Last year, she had the wisdom and courage to speak up when the county commissioners and the Teamsters were at an impasse. Dale led the effort that resulted in the union agreeing to concessions. Sixteen jobs and the services they provide were saved.

Dale didn't act because her job was threatened, because it wasn't. She acted because it was the right thing to do.

She also has the wisdom to address the critical connection between our environment and our economy. Dale has the vision, intelligence and skills required to help Clallam County grow and prosper in a sustainable fashion. She's a 21st-century leader.

Vote Holiday for county commissioner.

Buff Hirko
Port Angeles

Wednesday, July 11th, 2012

I can't believe it is time for another election.

I am happy to see a person I know and think highly of running for Clallam County commissioner, Position 2.

Our town and county can use Dr. Dale Holiday's depth and breadth of experience. Dale gives us a highly intelligent candidate who can see issues from many perspectives. Though she grew up poor, she was so bright that she managed to get scholarships and go on to get her Ph.D. in planning.

Dale is multitalented. She's worked in the private sector and for state and local government. She has managed large-scale projects, like roadways and waste management, that are comparable to projects the county works on. She has taught at the college level, and she's a published author. Dale currently works managing a $1.25 million drug-abuse-prevention grant for Clallam County.

From what I have seen, Dale cares about our community: the people, the economics, the environment and the arts. She shows this through her "paid" jobs and even more so through her volunteer and board positions. She cares and she has the expertise to do something about it.

This gives me hope for the future of our amazing Olympic Peninsula.

Join me in voting for Dale Holiday, county commissioner, Position 2. She will be an outstanding commissioner.

Emily Marcus
Port Angeles

Tuesday, July 10th, 2012

This is a letter of endorsement for Clallam County commissioner candidate Dale Holiday.

A resident of Clallam County for six years, Dale is a Democratic candidate who has critical leadership experience in the key elements (of) our community: county government, environmental planning and human and health services.

Dale has a strong personal and professional background. Raised in a working family, she holds a Ph.D. in urban planning. She has in-depth expertise on the socioeconomic relationships linking environment and rural communities.

Dale is clearly what the county needs right now.

Dale states clearly she is a fiscal conservative. She is also dedicated to honest local government and representing both the citizens of this county and the unique and invaluable ecological resources that, if managed properly, have the potential to continue to provide our county with prosperity.

The county is facing change. Future leadership is going to take sophistication, intelligence and clear honesty.

Dale has all of these, and is by far the strongest candidate to navigate the changes in front of us.

As a private citizen of Clallam County, I strongly encourage endorsing Dale Holiday for county commissioner.

Anne Shaffer
Port Angeles

Sunday, July 8th, 2012

Being that Clallam County is located in one of the most scenic spots on Earth, and being that a huge portion of our local economy is connected to our coastline and Olympic National Park, I think it's safe to say that our economy is inextricably linked to our environment.

But our lakes are often closed due to toxins.

The oceans are becoming more acidic, threatening the viability of our shellfish and the shellfish industry.

Our local dump is threatening to spill into the Strait.

All these issues and more threaten not just our local ecology, but our local economy. Environmental degradation is a major threat to our health, the health of our children and the health and sustainability of our economy.

Business as usual is not enough.

We need real leaders who understand the connection between the environment and the economy, and who are intelligent and courageous enough to take the steps needed to create a prosperous, sustainable future for all of us.

Dale Holiday, candidate for Clallam County commissioner Position 2, is such a leader.

She has the real-world skills, experience and education to both protect our environment and to strengthen our economy. Dale won't be content to just sit in her chair and go along to get along. She'll be a real advocate for the people and businesses of Clallam County. She'll be a real, proactive leader.

Dale is incredibly qualified for this position. Visit www.votedale2012.com and see for yourself why she's the best choice for county commissioner.

Tatalle Lagrosse
Port Angeles

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

It's difficult for elected officials to effectively address one issue without compromising others. Think of a juggler trying to keep a tennis ball, a watermelon, a chain saw and a rabbit in the air all at once.

For example, drug abuse is a health problem usually dealt with by law enforcement. Additional funding for drug enforcement may cut into the road department's share of the budget; so dealing with a public health issue may result in more potholes or less snowplowing.

Budget management is rarely as simple as that example, so in these critical economic times we need county commissioners with exceptional qualifications.

Dale Holiday has truly exceptional qualifications, only a few of which are a master's degree from the University of Rhode Island in community planning; Ph.D. from the University of Washington in environmental planning with minor studies in the impacts of ecotourism on rural coastal communities; manager of a $1.25 million drug abuse prevention grant for Clallam County; Humane Society board member; and former North Olympic Land Trust board member.

Two years ago, she worked with the nation of Bhutan assisting engineers and planners with development projects. Then she published an article about her work in Planning magazine, the flagship publication for American urban planners.

I urge you to learn more about Dale Holiday's long record of public and private sector experience and then to join me in voting for her as a county commissioner.

Michael D. Bunnell
Sequim

Sunday, June 24th, 2012

I was struck by the front-page article ("Old Dump Threatens to Spill Into Sea," PDN, June 19th). Here we are, in 2012, being threatened by the consequences of poor planning from many years ago.

The city of Port Angeles is spending $50 million dollars to try to "fix" its combined sewer overflow problems - problems that were caused by poor planning from many years ago.

All the fuss, delay and expenses surrounding the Carlsborg sewer issue? The result of poor planning on the part of the county.

How many times will our local "leaders" take us down the path of extended timelines, unintended consequences and ever-growing expenses? How much of our environment will be degraded in the meantime? How many tax dollars will be wasted - all because our "leaders" don't seem to be able to plan for anything, or to see more than five minutes into the future?

I am tired of the waste, and delighted to have a chance to do something about it. I'll be voting for Dr. Dale Holiday for Clallam County commissioner.

Dr. Holiday has extensive experience in public and private-sector projects, and a host of other skills and experience.

Dr. Holiday also has a Ph.D. in planning. Someone with such a background and education on our Board of Commissioners will be a great asset to Clallam County.

Visit her website at www.votedale2012.com, and you'll see why she's the smartest choice.

Margot Fusk
Port Angeles

Sunday, June 24th, 2012

As a teacher, I'm tasked with helping to build better, more-informed citizens and future leaders. To do that, I have to have a plan for the school year as a whole and for each day within that year. Without these plans, I wouldn't be able to help my students chart a course for academic success.

It seems to me that our county has been drifting along for too long without a plan for success. The mills are closing, the economy is changing, but you wouldn't know it to look at the actions of our county government. We're well into the 21st century, but too often, they plod along as though it were still 1950.

We don't have leaders with vision. We have leaders wearing blinders.

That's just not good enough.

Our economy is battered. Our home values have fallen. We need leaders with vision, courage and wisdom.

Fortunately for us, we have someone running for county commissioner with all those qualities. Her name is Dale Holiday.

Dale has been active in our county in many areas. She's worked on land conservation and drug-abuse prevention. She's been a teacher and worked on tourism promotion.

Her experience in the county planning department has shown her the problems we face in planning from both sides of the counter. She knows we can do better and knows how to make it happen.

Vote for progress. Vote for prosperity. Vote for Dale Holiday.

She's clearly the best choice.

Kat Dadd
Port Angeles