Subject: Letter to the Editor
To: Brian Kelly <bkelly@southwhidbeyrecord.com>, Roy Jacobson <rjacobson@southwhidbeyrecord.com>
Cc: Island County Commissioners <BICC@co.island.wa.us>
Brian and Roy,

I am requesting that you publish the following as a Letter to the Editor in the next print edition of the South Whidbey Record.

I have attached a copy of DD1’s official response to “Q. 2nd #3″ on the second page of the attachment.  The third page documents DD1’s payment to Puget Sound Energy for the cost of running the small pump in June and July.  This is hard evidence of continuing dewatering of the wetland area during a period of drought with essentially no rainfall.

You be the judge

After submitting false and misleading information to obtain the initial permit for the Useless Bay Pump Project, Diking Commissioners Ray Gabelein and Steve Arnold have just done it again.

 The US Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) recently asked the Diking District whether or not they were still pumping water out of the wetlands during the summer months. The two Commissioners responded that the large pump has not run since May 21, 2009.  They neglected to inform USACE that the small pump has been running and successfully further dewatering the wetland area during summer drought conditions.  At the August 2009 Diking District meeting I pointed out that their response was false and misleading.  Nevertheless, they elected to outvote me 2 to 1 and have now deliberately sent in their deceitful response.

 Commissioners Gabelein and Arnold, it is about time that you start telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  But since you aren’t under oath, I guess you don’t have to.

 John Shepard    Commissioner, Diking District No. 1

DD1 Letter to Vicky Didenhover US Corp of Eng Misleading Info 09,02,09

DD1 Invoice for PSE Small Pump Run Costs 07, 08, 09

SWR Letter to Editor 04/23/09

 

I will struggle to make this short and to the point.

 

As a lifelong resident of Sunlight Beach, I would like to know why anyone would trust the word of Dike District 1 Commissioners Ray Gabelein Jr. and Steve Arnold.

 

At the March 2009 DD1 meeting, the discussion turned to an December 30^th, article in the SWR quoting Ray Jr and Steve concerning what an “amazing” pump we have operating in the back fields and how it arrived just in time for the “big melt”. “It is doing what it’s suppose to do”.

 

When asked about this at the DD1 meeting, Steve states “you don’t believe everything you read in the newspaper.”

 

Maybe, you can just trust “some“ of the people “some” of the time.

 

I believe that the reason for the April DD1 meeting cancellation was that they did not want to hold a meeting just after the DD1 tax assessments were received. The room would be packed with those directly affected by the tax.

 

Is our neighborhood divided? Yes it is. As in any controversy, everyone wishes it would have never happened. You have some who fear retribution through delayed remodeling permits or loss of county jobs. Then you have some who feel that DD1 commissioners,  Ray Jr and Steve, have manipulated the political system and their positions of power for their own personal gain.

 

The DD1 commissioners used secretive methods to plan this 6000 gpm pump project in order to drain their own land. It does not benefit anyone on Sunlight Beach. On December 20^th, 2004, a contract was signed between USG&C and DD1 regarding the details of the pump purchase and payment. We did not hear anything about a pump until September 2008. We do not want the pump. It has been pumping toxic chemicals and polluted water into Deer Lagoon. Next, they arrange a tax assessment system so that only a few pay for 95% of the pump’s cost.

 

Does this sound like we are being picky? I do not think so. Also, I do not think that Ray, Jr and Steve Arnold are trusted servants of our community who are here to “just serve the district and do the best we can to keep it functioning the way it was set up.”

 

I could go on but enough. I think I will water my flowers.

 

Leo Cruise

Sunlight Beach

 

The results of some testing done by the state Department of Ecology last October now reveal “very high levels of Carbaryl and 1-Naphthol” in the Useless Bay Golf and Country Club golf course waterways. Golf course water is pumped into Puget Sound through Deer Lagoon and Useless Bay.

Citizens In Support of Useless Bay Community
P.O. Box 531
Clinton, WA 98236

3/1/2009

Island County Treasurer’s Office
P.O. Box 669
Coupeville, WA 98239

To Whom It May Concern:

I write on behalf of Citizens in Support of Useless Bay Community. As of Friday, February 20, 2009, the treasurer’s office was unable to provide the amount of any Diking District No. 1 tax submitted by Ray Gabelein and Steve Arnold, to be imposed in 2009 by the county on individual Diking District No.1 property owners.

It has been confirmed by several reliable sources that the water being pumped from “commissioner” Gabelein’s wetland/farmland into Puget Sound was not tested by Island County for anything, (much less fecal matter), as Ray represented to the county commissioners and the public.

The 6,000 gallons per minute pump has been operating, despite demands that it stop.

A copy of the testing that was done by the county of the golf course water in 2006 shows that it was not tested for chemicals, such as fertilizer.

The water being pumped into the Sound is brown and stinks.