Giving thanks
Dear Editor:
Thank you family, neighbors, church family and community for your support during the illness and loss of my husband Leonard (Len) Baylor. Your calls, cards, flowers, prayers, love and presents have been so comforting.
This is also a time to give thanks to my dear mother-in-law Hattie Baylor, who kept her baby, Len. I am so thankful that in 1931, abortion wasn’t “heard of” in Oklahoma. We had 68-plus years together! And we will spend eternity together!
So I say, “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore friends be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” I Corinthians 15:57 and 58.
Elsie Baylor
Carlton
Words matter
Dear Editor:
I’m curious. I’m seeing signs in our valley that say “Because You Matter” and I wonder what that means. There is no clear message on this small placard on the side of the road so I made a point to get out of my car and to read the small print.
I found the website only7seconds.com, which I visited to learn more. The information on the website is about increasing awareness of the importance of connection and suicide prevention a message that all of us surely believe in. Human connection is at the core of a healthy society and I wholeheartedly support the stated intentions of this initiative. Thank you!
Going further, my curiosity led me to concern, not about this message, but about the words used. “Because you matter” is dangerously close to “all lives matter,” which dilutes the message that “black lives matter.” Some people have very good intentions and use “all lives matter” to be inclusive but it is not. For many in the black community and among white allies this term is offensive. The clear and unambiguous communication that “Black Lives Matter” came about because of the crisis of our country’s history of hundreds of years of enslavement and the ongoing legacy of cultural and institutional racism that is literally killing black folks. In the U.S. we have a history of black and indigenous people being killed or going missing with almost no notice and it is up to all of us to change this travesty of justice. We can only bring about change with our thoughtful, intentional action.
Black lives matter does not mean that only black lives matter, we know that all lives matter, but our brothers and sisters of colors need the partnership of the dominant culture (white folks for now) to get on board with changing the systems that still hold down the very people on whose backs this country was built.
I ask that we all use great care in the words we use because words matter!
Mary Yglesia
Methow
What works
Dear Editor:
After seven months of frustration with the IRS, non-responses, and total stonewalling about my tax refund, I contacted Sen. Maria Cantwell. Well, you ask, what did you think that would get you?
I got my long-delayed tax refund within three weeks! She did it!
Something still works.
Joan Winsor
Winthrop
Perfect day in Twisp
Dear Editor:
Last Saturday (Sept. 25) could easily be my favorite day in Twisp so far this year. The elements couldn’t have been better, with pristine blue skies free of smoke, and a warm sun lighting the backcountry ablaze with color. The Farmers Market was bursting at the seams with the bounty of harvest.
By afternoon, TwispWorks and downtown Twisp were full of artists and creative entrepreneurs of all ages, gathered in celebration of the Twisp Art Walk. There was plenty of room to enjoy the event safely, and an abundance of ingenuity to remind all of us just how many creative people live and work in our midst. Saturday was a day to be proud of, a statement of resilience after another tough fire season, and a celebration of being together in community.
Collaboration was at the heart of this year’s Art Walk, and Kaileah Akker, executive director of Confluence Gallery, and Lindsey Bryson, manager at TwispWorks, deserve high praise for organizing a record-breaking number of participating artists. In addition, Rebecca Gallivan, executive director of Cascadia Music, Emily Nelson, outreach coordinator for Methow Arts, and Jamie Petitto, marketing director for the Twisp Chamber of Commerce all played a huge roll in pulling off this event.
On behalf of everyone at TwispWorks, it was uplifting to see so many people on campus, enjoying the event and supporting our local arts scene. I am encouraged by the determination it took to make this event happen and look forward to more celebrations of our community spirit at TwispWorks and downtown Twisp. The arts are alive and well!
Tori Karpenko
Director of Campus Operations
TwispWorks
