To The Eagle:

I agree with the position of Wally Wright and David Goodroe on the matter of the Town not being able to support the skateboard--oops, excuse me!--the amphitheater facility.

Until the town can afford to maintain Strong Park, Erickson Park, J.B. Hansen Swimming Pool, B. Bradley Library, the street improvements and maintenance, the water system, the sewer system, meaningfully contribute to the Wahkiakum Historical Museum, town law enforcement, employ the people it needs to fully operate and pay its employees adequate compensation, the town should not additionally take on an almost $900,000 project, grant, partial grant or no grant.

It is appropriate to improve the library and to modify that existing building to provide a community senior center, both of which need the additional parking in the town owned land south of the Pioneer Church. Councilman Wright is correct that the area chosen to locate the amphitheater should be used for parking.

I have heard the opinion expressed by several citizens that the town attorney and council woman as adjacent landowners to the proposed parking area north of the Pioneer Church had a personal and business conflict of interest and should not have participated in the meeting where the decision to proceed was made. Additionally, the town attorney should have so advised the councilwoman and told her that she should not vote. When he did not, the mayor should have done so.

The town attorney and councilwoman are good people and I consider them to be my friends. I take no joy in writing this letter, but I believe it needs to be done to give them the opportunity to correct their errors.

The $10,000 accepted by the town for the parking area south of the Pioneer Church should be refunded with interest to Wally and Bobby Wright if it is not used for that purpose.

As an aside, I understand that the skateboard facility in the town's Erickson Park still needs about $28,000 to $30,000 to be completed after all these years.

George Hanigan

Cathlamet