I live in Redmond and travel often to Oak Harbor to visit my mother and brother, who live in the condos across Bayshore from the Element nightclub. This letter is in response to “61 Reasons to be Thankful” in your Nov. 23 paper, specifically item 25.

I found this item mean-spirited, belittling the condo residents (“whiney neighbors”) who continue to object to the noise and disruption created by patrons of Element night club. Most nights when I sleep at my mother’s home, I am awakened by shouting and car noise around closing time. The residents deal with this on a nightly basis.

A few months ago I was awakened by an especially loud, closer group involved in a fight. Condo residents observing this fight saw a person knocked against the side of my car, parked in the condo lot next to the street. In the morning I called the police to make a report as daylight clearly showed that the side of my car had been pushed in from the impact the night before.

The repair for this damage cost $900, and I paid the $500 deductible. I would much rather have done something else with that $500! It is my understanding that Element clears its parking lot after closing –- bully for them! But people just go across the street. The patrons of Element are disturbing residents who should be able to sleep through the night, urinating in their bushes and damaging property.

Is this really the image of Oak Harbor that you want visitors like me to carry home?

Sue Willey

Redmond