Herald letters on the KSD levy, changes to eye care laws, and discovery of mammoth bones | Opinion

Thank you, Kennewick voters

On behalf of Kennewick School District students, staff, and families, I want to thank our community for supporting the Educational Programs and Operations Levy.

I am proud to live and work in a community that recognizes the importance of strong schools. Strong schools and strong communities go hand-in-hand. With the support of the community, our school system can continue to provide a high-quality education for our students — the future workers and leaders in our community.

With the passage of the levy, Kennewick School District will be able to continue to focus on our goals for our students: All students are safe, known and valued; All students are engaged learners; and All students are ready for their future.

We are committed to using levy funding, and the additional state local effort assistance (LEA) funding we receive due to the levy passing, to continue to provide the people, programs and partnerships that benefit our students. We will be able to increase safety in our schools and continue to provide students with high-quality academic programs and support, as well as athletic and extracurricular opportunities that help make their school experience fun and engaging.

Again, thank you for supporting KSD schools!

Dr. Traci Pierce, Superintendent

Kennewick School District

Senate Bill 5389 misses the mark

Surgery should only be performed by highly trained medical doctors. But a new proposed bill in Olympia would allow optometrists to operate on your eyes, with scalpels and lasers. Senate Bill 5389 jeopardizes patient safety. It’s unnecessary, it does not increase patient access to care and does not lower costs. There is no public demand for the expanded scope.

Ophthalmologists are highly skilled and trained medical doctors. They receive at least 12 years of higher education — which include three to five years in intensive surgery training. They amass nearly 20,000 hours of training before they are certified to perform surgery.

Optometrists, meanwhile, receive far less education. They don’t attend medical school and receive no surgical training.

As ophthalmologists, we work closely and highly value our optometric colleagues. We rely on them for eye exams, diagnosis of eye disorders and many other vital issues with our eyes.

But when surgery is required, ophthalmologists and optometrists are worlds apart. None of us wants our chiropractor performing back surgery. Or our psychiatrist doing brain surgery. There’s a reason clinical boundaries exist. As one of my mentors once said, “There are no shortcuts to being a surgeon.” Lawmakers should vote no on SB 5389.

Dr. Devin Harrison, MD, Richland

Mammoth bones offer opportunity

I noticed the news that mammoth bones were being dug up not too far from Kennewick. I wanted to comment on this because I believe this is great news for the Tri-Cities as this event can open up more possibilities for the Tri-Cities to gain more attraction.

As a kid, I had always loved fossils and knew almost all creatures from those prehistoric eras, and finding out about this event made me happy knowing that it is nearby. As mentioned in your title how tours are to be expected to go fast, these attractions can bring many possibilities and opportunities to the Tri-Cities to have more events that can bring those outside eyes into the Tri-Cities.

I think these small events or moments in the Tri-Cities can help later on in making Tri-Cities stand out in Washington. These would not only bring tourist attractions to the Tri-Cities later on, but it can open up more jobs for people when new activities or features are added to the Tri-Cities. This is only the beginning of new opportunities that the Tri-Cities can take advantage of.

Andrew Mendoza, Pasco