It’s ironic to hear Port Angeles City Council candidate Jena Stamper claim her opponent, incumbent council member Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin, is driven more by “idealist ideology than the realities of the city.”
Stamper is herself no stranger to ideology removed from reality, having helped lead a rally seeking to fire Clallam County’s health officer, based on a misguided interpretation of the law that the state Board of Health recently unanimously rejected.
I’ve known Lindsey and his family for decades; they are kind, conscientious, hard-working people.
Lindsey got a scholarship to go to college back East, then returned because he loves this community and wanted to give back to it and make his life here.
When Lindsey first returned, he was an outdoor educator with NatureBridge and worked closely with me when I ran the Clallam County Streamkeepers program.
He was one of a handful of NatureBridge educators able to work effectively with kids while following Streamkeepers’ rigorous scientific protocols to produce high-quality data.
He taught for several years, eventually leading programs helping to reconnect young tribal members with the Elwha watershed, connecting with the larger project of the Elwha’s ecological and cultural restoration.
Lindsey’s combination of empathy and rigorous attention to reality are what make him such a valuable member of our city council.
I do not always agree with him but know he listens intently and considers deeply, paying close attention to facts, input and lessons learned both here and elsewhere.
He is a true exemplar of sorely needed thoughtful realism.
Ed Chadd
Port Angeles