Jefferson County lawyer signals displeasure

    Jefferson County Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Alvarez flipped county watchdog Mike Belenski a raised middle finger last week and said words associated with that sign.
   "It was unprofessional of me. I shouldn't have done it," Alvarez said later.
   Belenski is a Mats Mats resident who has become like a thorn in the county's side in terms of searching through public records on county personnel and operations. Belenski has sued the county at least a dozen times in the last decade, winning about half the time.
   "I think he's filing a lot of frivolous lawsuits and I think he needs to move on," Alvarez said of Belenski.
   Alvarez said he hadn't decided whether to apologize to the man he has been sparring with for seven years in court.
   Belenski has responded by sending a letter to commissioners with a copy of the county's personnel manual that states if county employees are hostile to any citizen or use abusive language they can be dismissed.
   Prosecuting Attorney Juelie Dalzell, who supervises Alvarez, said that Alvarez's comments were inappropriate. She said she hoped to have an unbiased county official investigate the incident. 
   Belenski's letter to the commissioners asks for an audio recording of the meeting so that Alvarez's comments can be documented.
   Matthes said she heard the exchange but did not tape it because the meeting had ended. "It's not on the tape," she said.
   "I was shocked that David said it," Matthes said. "You can only get pushed so far," she added.
   Commissioner David Sullivan, who was not present for the exchange, said Belenski's comment was insulting.
   "But it's not the response I would expect from David," Sullivan said.
   Sullivan said he thought it was inappropriate for Belenski to make such a comment and inappropriate for Alvarez to respond.
   "It's better to ignore those kinds of negative comments," Sullivan said.
   Commissioner John Austin said he was not paying attention to Belenski and Alvarez so did not hear what was said clearly.
   Belenski said he was glad there were witnesses to verify that he was just sitting in his chair at the time, trying to do what he always does, which is to watch out for what county officials are doing.
  

A 'Don't Miss' Web link

   The Convergence Newsletter, Feb. 1 (University of South Carolina School of Journalism)
 

'Don't make me' column: Judy Halone

   (Note: Judy Halone is a Washington-based writer now producing a weekly column titled "Don't Make Me Turn This Car Around." Her column appears in the Enumclaw and Bonney Lake papers. She is offering the column free temporarily to WNPA members.)

Childhood bullying cuts deeply
    
    By Judy Halone
 
    Dear readers: My usual focus on childhood antics takes a serious look at another childhood antic: bullying. This is part one of a two-part series.

   Were you teased as a child?
   I was teased relentlessly for wearing an ugly and cumbersome back brace for my scoliosis and sporting a mouth full of metal braces on my teeth.
   When the teasing started I'd reply with this childhood mantra: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me."
   But names really do hurt.
   Mom and Dad did an incredible job of assuring me that my identity involved much more than the names kids called me. They taught that self-pity could take a back seat to an I-can-do-it attitude -- an attitude that remains with me today.
   They stood in my corner.
   Childhood bullying cuts deeply into a child's character. And as much as kids say, "Sticks and stones can break my bones...", I believe bullying creates scar tissue that can cripple dreams and self-esteem.
   My friends offered to share their accounts of childhood bullying:
   "As a freshman, I was constantly picked on by the seniors because I was smaller than my classmates. Sometimes their cruelty made me cry -- they'd hit me on the head with their class rings or push me around.
   "Luckily, there was an older boy who looked out for me. He became a good friend of mine. That was probably the worst experience I had in school," he said.
   His friend stood in his corner.
   Another friend said this:
   "In second grade, I got tummy aches and made up reasons to stay home from school - all because I hated the bus stop.
   "There were three brothers there who put twigs and pencils in my mouth. They'd say, 'Here's your breakfast, Beaver,' because my permanent teeth came in so twisted and large.
   "Although I've had braces twice as an adult, I still have a hard time speaking in front of people without covering my mouth; I feel what I have to say is unimportant.
   "Bullying and name-calling definitely impacted me. To this day, I will correct a child if they are bullying another one," she said.
   I'm glad she stands in their corner.
   Bullying really can hurt a child. But I know that together, we can help reach out to the kids in our lives who need someone to speak up for them.
   Because if we don't stand in their corner, who will?

  Judy Halone is a member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Send your comments to: judy@judyhalone.com.
  
   Copyright © 2007 by Judy Halone
  
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