Letters to the editor
Owners should bear some costs for mall demo
I read the Jan. 18 Point/Counterpoint columns from Dave Ball and Gary Stout in great detail. I myself wrote an editorial about this same subject a few months ago. Both men had some good viewpoints, but I still agree with Mr. Stout that half of the remaining Washington County Blight Mitigation and Demolition Fund should not have been earmarked for the Washington Mall project. The original owners should have paid for this demolition. There was a deed transfer in the public records section of the Sunday Observer-Reporter around Aug. 20, 2025 for the property at 301 Oak Springs Road for $12,750,000. The seller was a “Brenna L. Noll Hutchison et al”. The new owner was listed as “79/70 Associates”. Why wasn’t the seller responsible for at least part, if not all of the demolition? I don’t understand this. Who is “Brenna L. Noll” ? Does she have ties to the Washington Mall/JCP associates that still seem to own a great deal of the property at Strabane Square across the road? Look for yourself on the Washington County reassessment website. And that group couldn’t tear down their own property for future use? Unbelievable. Shame on them! Those funds could have demolished a lot of blighted homes and properties throughout Washington County.
Brent A Fulton
Lone Pine
‘Greenland Grab’ helps Putin
The Greenland Grab is being sold to us as vital for American security. But who is really helped by breaking up NATO and shredding our long partnership with Europe? That would be Russia. I can imagine Vladimir Putin grinning from ear to ear as this plays out; perhaps this was his idea. We’ve already seen our president roll out the red carpet for him, and ask him for advice on elections. It’s not far fetched to wonder if Putin came up with this too.
But no matter whose idea it was, let’s be clear about one thing: the Greenland Grab helps Russia and hurts the United States.
John Bogaard
Houston
He doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer
What kind of person demands to be given an award they did not earn, then proudly makes a show of accepting that award from the person who actually earned it? It’s the same kind of person who was handed a Purple Heart from a retired lieutenant colonel. While proudly accepting it, the fake recipient quipped, “I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier.” He received five military draft deferments during the Vietnam war era. He is the same kind of person who demands that other countries forfeit their land, sovereignty, and people to him because he believes that he is more powerful. This kind of person can be called many things: bully, immature, narcissistic, delusional, impaired, childish, pathetic, and so on.
There is a pattern to Donald Trump’s behavior. He was raised in privilege, displays no sense of morality, and is used to getting what he wants without consequence due to a lifetime of excessive wealth from questionable business tactics. He does not believe he should take “no” for an answer. He believes he does not need permission for something to happen or agreement to do something, the definition of consent. Just ask E. Jean Carroll.
Sharon Laffey
Claysvillle