Letters to the editor
Published 1:30 am Monday, June 1, 2026
South Beach proposed fire station bond needed
As a firefighter/paramedic with South Beach Regional Fire Authority and a longtime South Beach resident, I want to thank the Board of Fire Commissioners for looking out for firefighters on the South Beach by placing the proposed fire station bond on the August ballot.
Our current Westport station was never designed to serve as a modern fire station. We are located in a flood and tsunami zone, the building was not constructed to modern earthquake standards, and it lacks many of the health and safety features firefighters rely on today. The building’s layout can even create delays when crews are responding to emergencies.
The proposed Englewood station renovation would place crews in a more central location with better access throughout the district, helping improve response coverage for the communities we serve.
The renovated facility would include modern firefighter safety systems designed to reduce exposure to cancer-causing contaminants and provide a safer working environment for emergency personnel. Renovating an existing building is also more cost-effective than constructing a new station from the ground up.
The proposed bond measure is about maintaining reliable emergency response, protecting the ones who protect the community while planning responsibly for the future. I appreciate the opportunity for residents to decide how emergency services are supported moving forward.
Jacob Finnigan
Firefighter/paramedic
South Beach Regional Fire Authority
Hoquiam pellet plant needs to go away
I am pleased you printed the opinion by Peter Biggs regarding the Hoquiam pellet plant.
In my mind, all indications are that it is a very bad investment. It is being situated next to the wildlife sanctuary and the Hoquiam Junior High, Senior High and Emerson Elementary School, not to mention all the people living in that area as well.
It runs 24/7, pollutes the air, environment and the health of the people who work there as well as the surrounding community. The prevailing winds off the Bay will carry the pollutants inland and over Ocean Shores and Westport when the east winds blow.
The surrounding community will be subject to its noise at all hours of the day and night every day of the week. Whatever short-term jobs it will provide are not worth the long term damage to the city of Hoquiam and its people.
There certainly is not enough piles of refuse after clear cut to keep this plant functioning 24/7. Trees take 30-50 years to be ready for harvest in the lumber industry. Even if they clear cut the entire area again, you would run out of local wood.
It is also nice to learn that Japan has recognized the polluting aspects of the pellets and is refusing to subsidize this plant. I would hope the potential plant goes away just like the one in Longview did for all the right reasons.
Louie-Jean Taylor
Aberdeen
Union unhappy with county negotiations
To Local 275-Courthouse and public health members:
As you may have heard, our negotiations have not advanced at all since our last mediation meeting.
The Grays Harbor County is not willing to give up on going after our seniority clause. They have only given proposals that differ in language, but the county remains steadfast on the topic of seniority being a big issue.
The county has not given us anything of value for their crusade to strip away our, decades old, hard-earned, seniority.
The county can’t even point to a problem with our seniority language, other than some elected officials simply “don’t like it.”
That is pretty much their argument in a nutshell.
We remain in unity in our belief that any compromise on seniority comes at a significant cost to the county. The county has not met a meaningful threshold to accept their proposal to shred our seniority language.
Let’s pack the Commissioners meeting on June 9. Attendance is important if we are to get any movement from the county, in-person or virtually (it needs to be on your break or time not working). If you cannot attend, a personal message to the Commissioners could be helpful.
I realize that there are a lot of questions that remain unanswered and we are trying to communicate back with all the questions you may have in person or through your shop stewards. If you would like more details, your negotiations team is available for additional questions or insight.
In solidarity,
Aaron Cole
Staff Union Representative
Washington State Council of County and City Employees
AFSCME Council 2, AFL-CIO
