I covered Clallam County government for Peninsula Daily News from 2004 to 2008, when I got to know Mike Doherty.
I also covered homelessness and Serenity House, where I got to know Martha Ireland.
I came to like and respect both of them as courteous people competently doing their jobs, often for demanding and difficult constituents and clients.
However, Ireland errs when she says Doherty is discourteous and dismissive toward women (“Peach merits another term as Clallam commissioner,” Sept. 27).
In both his public appearances and his private conversations, I saw Doherty show to all people the old-fashioned sort of courtesy we seldom see today.
He also displayed respect for opposing opinions.
As for gender, it made no difference in the civility he showed to his colleagues, county employees and especially the public.
To use a disappearing parlance, he always has been a gentleman.
I never heard him make a sexist, racist, homophobic or otherwise inappropriate remark or display a similar attitude about anyone.
Martha, are we talking about the same man?
James Casey,
Port Angeles
EDITOR’S NOTE: Jim Casey is a former reporter for the Peninsula Daily News. He is speaking as a private citizen.