SPEAKING
IN SIGN LANGUAGE:
For Sultan officials, these signs are a step above "Read my lips"
Here's
part of the saga of the "sign language" used by some Sultan
Citizens
in their attempt to communicate their opinions Re the Sultan Police and
Chief Fred Walser in May/June 2007
A
microcosmic example of Sultan's pandemic Fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants
management style.
We're telling this story -- in true Sultan Style -- backwards (chronologically,
from the most-recent event to the oldest)
Signs erected either late Friday or early a.m. Saturday, Aug.18, 2007 by Lifelong Sultan resident Burl Champeaux (and father of sitting Sultan Councilman Bruce Champeax).
Champeaux's signs were removed TWICE on Saturday by a person or persons unknown. The second time they were removed, they were broken in half. And despite my absolute diagreement with the message being conveyed by the signs, I am appalled at their removal. (More....)
Determined that his signs remain standing, Mr. Champeaux stationed himself at the Red Apple's parking lot armed with a video camera so he might catch the sign-removing miscreant. However, when he saw Traci Hoenstine, someone he knew to be a strong supporter of both Chief Walser and the Sultan police, he went over to her. Ms. Hoenstine tols us that Burl Champeaux's attitude and demeanor was aggressive, and his voice loud, angry and accusing, such that not soon after their conversation began, she rolled up her car window and proceeded to call 911. Not long after that, Mr. Champeaux started banging on her car window. Within a few minutes Sultan PD Officer Larry Marshall appeared to take her statement. As of the date of this posting -- Aug. 20, 2007 -- Ms. Hoenstine is planning on filing assault charges against Mr. Champeaux.
We called Mr. Champeaux this morning to give him an opportunity to tell his side of the story or make an unaltered comment for our article. He did not wish to share anything with us except to suggest that we contact the Sultan police. (Which we had already done.)
This sign was erected around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, August 19, 2007 by Sultan residents Gerry Gibson and Kerry Ourada. Both have been strong Sultan Police Department and Chief Walser supporters. Mr. Ourada is also a candidate running for a seat on the Sultan Council. (More....)
July, 2007
Below are photos that were taken by a family member of Fred Walser at his request a few days after they were erected by private citizens. These signs meant a great deal to him ("It was a humbling experience"), so he wanted a permanent record for his personal archives. His rush in taking the photos may have been his astute assumption of their short shelf life in Sultan.
It's a good thing the Chief was quick on the trigger (of the camera, that is!) because unfortunately, a few days following the erection of thse signs, they disappeared. After Sultan resident Traci Hoenstine filed a criminal complaint with the Sultan Police Department (at the suggestion of Sultan City Administrator Deborah Knight), SPD Corporal Scott Berg found them in the City's Public Utility yard, having been removed by city work crews. Public Works Director Connie Dunn made amends for this rather embarassing mistake by her workers by writing a public apology to Ms. Hoenstine, and by directing her staff to re-erect the signs. (Unfortunately, the signs had been damaged upon their initial removal, and the re-placement of the signs was much too close to Sultan's entrance/welcome sign, partially obscuring it.
 |
 |
 |
The
"now you see it, now you don't" disappearing pro-Walser
signs are back up again after their removal July 3rd. Here's
the story, from Traci Hoenstine, wife of Kerry Ourada, running
for a council seat against Dale Doornek at the Nov. 6 general election.
|
- 7/6 - Friday- THE LAST DAY of work as a Sultan Police Officer for COLLEEN HOLMAN AND ADRIAN STEBBINS. Good luck and best wishes to you both, with thanks and appreciation for your valued service!
- 7/6 - The citizen-paid-for and -erected "THANK YOU, CHIEF WALSER" signs (SHOWN ABOVE) were removed shortly after a 10-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 3rd By-Invitation-Only Mayor-City Administrator meeting to discuss Sultan's $350-450,000 shortfall in the 2007's General Fund (see below for those details). In this meeting, attempts were made by Sultan's "Not-so-silent minority" to lay blame for the deficit at the feet of the Sultan PD and recent investigations, as well as costs associated with mandates from the CPSGMHB (Central Puget Sound Growth Mgt. Hearings Board) to get Sultan's 2004 Comprehensive Plan into compliance with the GMA (imagine the nerve of those folks!). But the sign was undoubtedly a reaction to Sultan's not-so-silent minority who still believe that the City's long-overdue financial crisis can be laid at the feet of Chief Walser and the Sultan PD and Josie Fallgatter for her several petitions to the CPSGMHB re Sultan's Comp Plan). This Not-so-silent Minority also believe that the world is flat, the Holocaust was a hoax, and that many millions of illegal immigrants can still be rounded up and sent back to their place of origins. But that's another story.
 May 27, 2007 |
AUDIO of May 24, 2007 Sultan Council Meeting re taking the apparently-inevitable next step toward replacing the SPD with contracted County Sheriff's (MP3, 1.8 mb AUDIO of the discussion and decision re this Action Item. (A word-for-word transcription will not be posted until 5/28 or 5/29.) AUDIO, DOCUMENTS & PHOTOS OF ALL THE PUBLIC MEETINGS held 2007 on this Sheriff's Contract issue. How long, we ask, does it take to determine a true Apples-to-Apples cost comparison? |
Friday,
May 25th - NEWS FLASH:
SULTAN'S POLICE CHIEF FRED WALSER RESIGNS:
Walser's (revised) Resignation Letter (in Word, pdf), and OurMay 25th Update (in Word, pdf)
- G.R.I.T.'s Update - May 24th's Council vote re Sheriff's Dept. (in Word)
- Audio (MP3, 679 kb) of Frank Linth's comments re Chief Walser and the Sultan PD, and a transcription (in Word, pdf)
- Ttranscription (and MP3 Audio, 567 kb) of Dusty Boucher's comments at the close of the council meeting (file in Word) (Mr. Boucher is the publisher/editor of The Valley Review, and a member of Sultan's Boucher Family, whose long roots dig deep into Sultan's culture and political scene.
Sunday, May 20th:
- Photos of Citizen-sponsored First Annual Sultan Police Department Appreciation BBQ held May 19, 2007 in Osprey Park
 May 15, 2007 |
This is Law Enforcement Appreciation Week. Please celebrate it by showing your appreciation for those who place themselves in harm's way, every day, 365 days a year to protect us all by attending Saturday's (5/19) SPD Appreciation BBQ (Osprey Park - begins at 11 a.m., ends at 3:30 PM). Shown at left: This is the great sign designed (K. Ourada), paid for and erected by the BBQ committee. It's located on U. S. 2, 1/4 mile east of the Old Owen Rd. intersection. Photos of this event. |