Letters to the Editor

Political cartoon was offensive

A recent edition of The Times included a political cartoon that compared the “technology divide” in providing distance learning in Western Washington to that in rural Eastern Washington in a manner that I, and some of my employees, found quite disturbing and offensive.

Perhaps the message of this cartoon was to illustrate the disparities in technology access between the two sides of our state. However, the message from this cartoon might also be that Eastern Washington districts can’t or don’t offer the same quality of learning.

Well, I am here to tell you my district does a pretty darn good job of providing a quality remote education, despite some significant challenges. Thanks to the generous support of our capital levy, which includes funds for technology, we were able to distribute a Chromebook to every student in grades pre-kindergarten to 12th-grade. I wonder how many urban districts in Western Washington were able to do that?

In addition, our district was able to begin offering distance learning opportunities just a few days after Gov. Inslee closed schools March 13. There are still some districts in our state (on both side of the Cascades) who are just beginning to implement their distance learning.

I’m not criticizing those districts, I am simply making the argument that there are schools in rural Eastern Washington that are doing some great work and are not the “country bumkins” portrayed in that political cartoon.

I am very proud that our school district received two national awards this fall. One of those awards was earned by only two districts in our entire state.

I could brag all day about our schools but I realize there is only so much space in this newspaper. We do have challenges with providing distance learning to but we are working hard to stay connected with our students. Please know that our district will continue to provide the best education we can, even in these unprecedented times. While we are far from perfect, we can hold your own against any district in our state and even in our country! “Once a Gorilla, always a Gorilla”

Jim Kowalkowsi

Superintendent

Davenport schools

Vandalism is never acceptable

I am so angry! We have had vandalism, again.

Wanton destruction of property. I have never understood that.

How anyone can just ruin someone’s property just because they can. Somebody can take a pipe, or whatever and break every piece of glass out of a vehicle. Every piece!

Not just one, but four vehicles. Granted they were old, but still in good condition and collectible cars. And then to finish it off, jump on top and crush in the tops.

Over the 48 years, we have lived here, we have been overly generous in sharing our enjoyable and relaxing property. Gladly, we have done so.

We have had vehicles and motorcycles spin-out, do brodies, dump foreign ingredients in an irrigation pump, throw out beer cans, water bottles, pop cans, paper cups, oil jugs, drive over trees, dump out fish food, hunt, target practice, light bonfires, break glass in a loader at the gravel pit, steal signs and more.

Most don’t even have the courtesy to ask permission to be here.

What if someone just goes in your backyard, uses your lawn chair, uses your barbecue, eats a picnic, then two hours later crushes your chair, leaves garbage, digs ruts in your lawn, uses your yard for a toilet, dumps over your flower pots, and then leaves?

Likewise, we have also had many who have been very respectful. Hopefully, a few won’t ruin it for all.

Ellen Schafer

Odessa