Coyotes on the prowl at Five Corners

The last two nights, I have observed a lot of coyotes yipping in the Five Corners area ("Coyotes are on the move in Edmonds," Sept. 29). Two different spots. Watch your cats.

I had noticed that, suddenly, a couple of weeks ago, all the rabbits that have been in my yard were gone. I think this may be why. Watch your babies and young children, too.

Coyotes can be quite fierce.

Deborah Arthur
Edmonds

Public response to Edmonds' off-leash dog park

Woof and huge thank you to the Edmonds Beacon for the great article regarding the Off-Leash Area Edmonds (www.olae.org) and our stewardship with the City of Edmonds Parks and Recreation department ("Off-leash dog park needs public's help to continue," Oct 13).

In the three days since the article appeared online and in print, our little nonprofit group has received over $1,300 in donations from your readership!

The article has really helped our 2023 budget. In addition to the biodegradable bags we buy for the park, we also print quarterly newsletters and donate dog food to the local food bank.

We have also sponsored special projects such as K-9 veteran Rex at Edmonds Veterans Plaza and the $2,000 donated to support the K-9 police officer purchase and training.

Volunteering efforts by many individuals to help keep the doggy "Club Med" park clean are always appreciated by the Board of Directors.

Again, thank you for highlighting this volunteer group and our funding needs.

Diane Buckshnis
Brian, Brian, Lori, Glenda, Kristi, Dave
Off Leash Area Edmonds

Community Table returns to the Waterfront Center

Edmonds Waterfront Center has announced, in partnership with Edmonds Rotary, that the Community Table program will be starting Wednesday, Nov. 2

There will be a designed, clearly marked table in the main dining room, staffed by a Rotary volunteer every Wednesday from 11:30 to 1 p.m.

At the table will be icebreaker cards to generate conversation, as well as a couple of small table games.

As we all know, our seniors, many of whom have contributed so much to our community and have interesting stories to share, are especially vulnerable to isolation and loneliness.

Through this partnership, we hope to provide a comfortable space for seniors to meet new people.

Questions may be directed to Maggie Peterson at Mag[email protected] or [email protected]

Maggie Peterson
Edmonds Rotary Club

Learning from Janelle Cass' public safety discussion

Recently, I attended a panel discussion at the Black Box Theatre in Edmonds on drug addiction and public safety hosted by Janelle Cass, who is running for state Senate in District 21. I was surprised by what I learned, motivating me to write this letter.

You may think these issues aren't of concern to you, but I believe they soon will be if left unchecked.

Janelle organized this thoughtful and articulate group of professionals working to address drug addiction. Included were Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney, Mayor Jon Nehring of Marysville, Mike Kersey, founder of Courage to Change, Randy Hayden of the Snohomish County Chemical Health and Advisory Board, and Dr. Gregory Jantz, who has written extensively on addiction.

Drug addiction has been rising at an alarming rate within our communities. One concerning addiction now is fentanyl. Often other drugs sold on the street have been laced with fentanyl, unknown to those buying the drugs.

It's highly toxic and highly addictive and problematic to treat. However, insurance companies deny coverage for this longer period.

Prisons lack space to accommodate the overload of addicts arrested, encouraging treatment program options rather than jail time. Of note, Snohomish County Prison has established its own rehab center.

Addicts often return to the streets, some of which are becoming increasingly unsafe. Fentanyl addiction in particular can produce bizarre behaviors, including long-term psychosis.

Homelessness and crime are also on the rise as a result, and through recent legislation, police are hampered from pursuing or prosecuting such individuals. The panel agreed that further efforts and legislation are crucial to address these problems.

You can access a video of this forum here. http://www.youtu.be/EekFOaQmaOc.

I had the pleasure of seeing Janelle Cass in action through our work together on the Edmonds Citizens Tree Board. She's smart and persuasive, knows how to get things done, and works tirelessly to do so.

She also cares deeply about her community and her agenda is focused on responding to the complex challenges facing us now, both human and environmental, with the goal of preserving and enhancing our way of life.

She's not who you'd expect as a politician – she genuinely cares, she listens, and has the skills to be effective in addressing these challenges facing us.

I'm a Democrat and she's a Republican, but in this case I believe that following the status quo and ignoring these current challenges is not the wise choice. In this case, it just makes sense to elect Janelle Cass.

I sincerely hope that others will make the effort to become aware of the issues at stake in this upcoming election, considering Cass' candidacy, to vote from an informed perspective.

Suzanne Juergensen
Edmonds