Letters to the Editor

Disappointed by parking meters

I am very disappointed that Leavenworth decided to install parking meters throughout most of the city.  I believe it is very negative treatment of all our visitors, but more importantly to our residents and particularly seniors such as myself. Additionally, when you look at the charge for overdue parking, it is totally out of line with what our lovely little town represents.

At a minimum of $39 and after only two days, $49, it smacks a bit of greed on the part of the city.  As far as I know, other cities in our area that are tourist-driven, including Wenatchee, Chelan, Manson, and probably many others, have not made a conscious choice to go in this direction.  I think the City Government should be ashamed of itself for continuing to move down such a greedy path.  A partial solution would be to offer residents the opportunity to obtain a window pass, allowing them to park at any meter for free.  Such a pass could even carry a small annual charge, e.g. $25 as a possibility as well.  Let's help our citizens and older residents out a bit rather than driving them away from shopping/eating at our local facilities.

Bob Hooson, Leavenworth

Supporing Gustavo Montoya

We support Gustavo Montoya for Hospital Commissioner, and we hope you do, too. We are two of your current hospital commissioners at Cascade Medical. We are writing this in our capacity as individual citizens without using any Cascade Medical resources. Gustavo has been an outstanding commissioner in his first year. He provides a fresh voice and perspective to the Hospital Commission, and his financial and technology expertise has been a vital asset for our rural hospital. Over this last year, he has helped Cascade Medical improve outreach to all in our district, including our Latino community. He also has personal qualities important for a commissioner: integrity, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to learning. As he wrote in the Voters Pamphlet, “As Commissioner, I ask difficult questions while showing our healthcare professionals the respect they deserve; advocate for productive listening and graceful conversation; and help maintain a fiscally sound district that continues to serve all in our communities.”

Please join us in voting for Gustavo Montoya.

Jessica Kendall, Leavenworth

Bruce Williams, Leavenworth

Supporting Cindy Puckett and Duane Goehner

We, as former leaders of Cascade Medical Center (CMC), urge you to vote for Cindy Puckett and Duane Goehner for CMC’s open board positions.  We have been concerned about the overall direction of the hospital in terms of physician access, difficulty getting clinic appointments, inaccurate bills, low employee morale, and excessive staff turnover. Many of us have been communicating with the hospital board on these issues for over three years. After meetings with the commissioners during those years, we appreciate that there have been some areas of positive movement in addressing some concerns, particularly physician turnover.  However, the lack of board involvement in demanding additional important changes and monitoring whether measurable results have occurred is apparent and concerning. Our primary concerns are with the organizational aspects of the hospital, not the staff, whom we greatly admire and appreciate.

We believe we need at least some board members who have a deep, multi-generational, and personal involvement with CMC and very deep roots in the community. Cindy Puckett (whose mother, Arleen Blackburn, was a well-known hospital supporter and board member) and Duane Goehner have an intimate knowledge of the community history and the important role CMC has played. In fact, they were born at the old Cascade Hospital. They have the local history and personal experience to help avoid mistakes of the past, such as when CMC was at the brink of bankruptcy closure, billing disasters, and the huge loss of patients leaving CMC, which several of us personally were chosen to fix when we started serving CMC.  We recommend change because we have seen these concerns before. Cindy and Duane will bring a new and exciting perspective to the hospital board. They are the kind of leaders we need.

Following in the footsteps of their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, Cindy Puckett and Duane Goehner have been community leaders in many roles and would continue making those contributions in their position as Chelan County Public Hospital #1 board members to ensure that CMC is the first choice for quality patient care.

Alex Saliby, former CMC Board Commissioner

Doug Williams, former CMC Administrator/CEO

Camille Stemm, former CMC Board Commissioner, and Chief Nursing Officer

Amy Webb, Former CMC Chief Operating Officer

Louise Bolser, career CMC Clinic Nurse

Teri McIntyre, MSN, RN, former CMC Clinical Nurse Manager

Supporting Gustavo Montoya and Bruce Williams

I am writing today to express my support to retain Gustavo Montoya as Cascade Medical Commissioner. As the Chief Technology Officer for a local agricultural business and a newly appointed commissioner, Gustavo brings a fresh and important perspective to our local hospital. In his short time on the Commission, his thoughtful comments about technology, AI, and the overall use of data have been helpful and well-received. He’s also an experienced leader. In addition to expertise with technology, he’s run a media company and served on several boards, including Pybus Market.

In my conversations with Gustavo, his integrity shines through. Community service and a strong desire to build upon the already strong foundation of Cascade Medical is a big part of his reason for serving. I strongly support Gustavo Montoya for hospital commissioner position 4.  I also endorse Bruce Williams, who is also running for re-election and is an experienced, proven leader.

Shari L. Campbell, Leavenworth