To: Mayor Nancy Conard <mayor@townofcoupeville.org>
Dear Nancy,
In reply to your email, my letter, which was sent to several individuals and groups, states: “We have called MANY of you…” Yes, this is my first letter to your office regarding the Growlers. Of course we have stated our concerns at public meetings, so our letter should hold no surprises.
I am amazed at the continued reluctance of civic leaders to take a stance in opposition to the use of the OLF by the Growlers. A man stopped at our garage sale last weekend. I think he is the head of the Economic Development Council. He voiced his concern about the difficulty of getting businesses established on the island. I replied that I would not start one now because of the jets and disruption their flights cause. Howevet, he is totally in support of them snd sees no correlation.
Sadly, as always, most of our decisions are based on money…so many leaders focus on the dollar rather than looking at the whole picture.
After looking off the island for over 4 years for a place to build, we just couldn’t leave Whidbey and more specifically, we chose to build near Coupeville. Obviously, we love this place. But we do not love these new jets and are greatly concerned about the addition of more squadrons.
Our little bit of heaven is a nightmarish place to live when the Growlers are flying directly above our house. There is a very large and diverse group of people from many areas (Lopez, Anacortes, Pt. Townsend – just to name a few) who want the Navy to cease using the OLF for landing practice. I hope you are listening. Of course, this is your home, too, and you must be impacted by the noise.
I believe all flights must stop until the Navy completes the EIS. They are in violation of requirements that any other individual, group, business or organization must meet. The “Sound of Freedom” is not from following the same standards and rules as the rest of us. The bottom line for us is: STOP all use of the OLF by the Navy for Growler practice NOW!
Sincerely, Roxallanne
On Sep 6, 2014 8:05 AM, “Roxallanne Medley” <rkmedley1@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Citizen Representatives,
We have called many of you and left messages on your phone and sent them via email. All to no avail. We have never received a single response to our concerns.
As a resident of Whidbey Island living directly under the flight zone of the Navy’s Growler jets, we are forced to endure intolerable noise and live in fear that one of these monsters may come crashing into our house one day.
When we purchased our land, it was the EA6′ s using the OLF.-not the Growlers. This is a totally different jet in terms of noise and what iti is doing to our everyday life. The sound is more than we can take. Our two pups, Barley and Briar Rose cower on their beds. Briar actually tries to get under our bed. The kitties race in and hide in their baskets. We close every window and door…can’t talk to each other. Can’t sleep. Can’t practice, watch a movie or listen to music.
They fly overhead when we are outside during the day, during dinner, when we are trying to sleep. The sound vibrates through our body and is incredibly painful to our ears. They are horrible. Do you want to live under their flight pattern? I am sure NOT!
It is time for us to be listened to. If I were a tourist coming to the island, I would not stay in a B&B, hike Ebey’s Reserve, dine at a restaurant. I would not come back. The other day, jets flew all day and then at night until almost 1 a.m. TOO MUCH.
I am not Un-American. But this is an incredible threat to our health, our life-style, our children, the economy and tourist industry, our property values.
To be honest…I HATE these jets!!! It is time to close the OLF to the Growlers. It is time for you to look beyond the almighty dollar and the defense department and listen to what your constituents are saying. Move the Growlers. Whidbey is a little bit of heaven. It is rural. It is peaceful and quiet. It is a place many of us have chosen to live away from the noise, pollution and traffic of an urban area. It is ruined by the jets. They CAN fly somewhere else. They SHOULD be flying somewhere other than at Whidbey.
Roxallanne Medley
431 Parker Rd
Coupeville, WA
98239