To the Museum Remodel Committee,

I just wanted to thank everyone who has taken the time to add valuable input to this amazing museum project.

I am so excited for our city and visitors to finally be able to explore our city’s rich history at our very own Visitors Center and Museum — EXPERIENCE ABERDEEN. I know we don’t have a museum yet, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Thank you, Mayor Pete Schave, for getting us a building to recreate our museum in. We have all been blessed to have Parks Director Stacie Barnum guiding this ship into port. She has been with this project from the start and her knowledge and expertise has been invaluable to its progress and future success.

I have to also acknowledge the extreme value that our community volunteers have brought to the table. John Larson, George Donovan, Nancy Cyle, Ruth Hamilton and Debbi Ross, you are all such outstanding citizens and your willingness to give up your free time and expertise to help the city through this project just says so much about your love and commitment to our community.

Finally, I’d like to thank our citizens for keeping the faith and continuing to bring us your historic Aberdeen relics. Harbor Architects is doing a wonderful job of creating a great design that the museum, and the city, will be able to work with while we raise money for exhibits and display build-outs.

While we are still over a year away from an opening, please feel free to send your comments or ideas to Director Barnum. We want this museum to be a community project, and your input and suggestions are needed to make this one of the best museums on the coast. Get ready to EXPERIENCE ABERDEEN, again.

Douglas Orr

Mayor

Aberdeen

Americans are cheapskates

They shop at the stores with the lowest prices, even though those stores don’t pay their people a living wage, and they buy the cheapest products at those stores, even though those products are not made in America, but in other countries.

I once worked as a Santa’s helper and many people complained about the cost. One man said, “I could buy my own Santa suit for cheaper. I wanted to say “Yes, you could, but you wouldn’t be paying American salaries.”

The same is true of their voting habits. Their most important issues are about money. They want a well running government, but they don’t want to pay for it. Give me everything I want, but don’t make me pay any or very little taxes.

What is happening right now in Washington is the result of that cheapskate mentality. We need to want quality and recognize that quality costs money.

Karen DeMasters

Aberdeen