Bill Ameling has devoted almost three decades to the Vashon Park District and deserves our thanks for his many years of hard work and service. However, his forceful and self described “alpha dog” personality has become something of a human resources problem, and sadly, there’s no HR department to call him in for a good talking to. Other board members seem willing to tolerate this behavior, or excuse it by saying, “Well, that’s just Bill.”

I took the notes at the recent VPD retreat that Mr. Ameling refers to in his recent letter. After the meeting when I offered to share these notes, John Hopkins and Joe Wald responded quickly, asking to be copied. I heard from Lu-Ann Branch on Monday and David Hackett on Tuesday. None of them made any comments to me about the contents of the notes or their accuracy. Bill Ameling did not request a copy.

You can read my notes and make up your own mind. Drop me a line at greenhillgirl@gmail.com and I’ll send you a copy. It’d be a very good thing if more people in the community paid attention to what’s going on at the park district and if they understood the difficulties that the remaining VPD employees face working for people we have elected. Better if you come to a meeting yourself and see it “up close and personal.”

Mr. Ameling brings these problems upon himself and, by extension, the VPD, and they will continue until he realizes that they are of his own making. As Leslie Brown so bluntly put it in her editorial on Jan. 9, he needs to “put a lid on it.” I second that emotion.

— CC Stone