Billboard on abstinence offended, not helped

I am writing to extend my thanks to the city of Maple Valley and Clear Channel Outdoor for listening to community response and removing a controversial billboard that was, until recently, displayed near the 7-11 store on State Route 169 and Witte Road. I am also writing to ask the organization responsible to reconsider their message and their choice of venue, so that other communities might be prevented from being as offended as I was by the billboard.

The billboard (owned by Clear Channel Outdoor) screamed out the words, “Who Waits to Have Sex?” in bold, white print on a dark background. The Web site listed on the billboard is sponsored by a church which, admirably, advocates abstinence. The distinct problem lay in the fact that one couldn’t discern that from the ad. The message I saw as I drove past it the first couple times was, “Who Wants to Have Sex?” Once I realized my mistake, the message then seemed to sound sarcastic toward those that do abstain.

I had hoped that my children wouldn’t notice the billboard – especially before I had visited the Web site to find out what it was truly advocating – but my 8-year-old son pointed it out to me, his own face in disbelief and dismay. When I told him I planned to issue a complaint, he said to be sure to mention in my letter that my son and 7-year-old daughter “think this sign is terrible!”

Personally, I am happy that there are churches and other organizations out there working to teach the intrinsic value of and moral need to abstain from intimacy until marriage, and I belong to such a church. But I would like to respectfully suggest to those responsible for creating this particular message to consider my reaction, which is echoed by many of my acquaintances, to rethink their slogan and come up with something much less ambiguous.

Also, please consider more appropriate ways, and mediums, with which to target your audience. A billboard addressing the issue of abstinence in such a brash manner only offended conservative families, not helped them.

HEATHER KOVACS

Maple Valley

Girl Scouts made community event a huge success

On March 15, the Greater Maple Valley Community Center hosted our egg-stuffing event in preparation for our annual community egg hunt.

This year, we needed to fill twice as many eggs as we usually do. Who better to help than the fabulous local Girl Scout troops?

We were fortunate to have a record number of over 90 members and thier families join us. Everyone worked tirelessly for hours untill all 17,000 eggs were filled.

We owe a huge “thank you” to the members of troop numbers 2505,1434, 2310, 2414, 2864, 52853 and 52879, as well as their parents, siblings and dedicated troop leaders.

Our egg hunt would not be possible every year without the generous volunteer efforts of the Girl Scouts.

BRANDY ROWLAND, CINDY BALLER and the Greater Maple Valley Community

Center’s children and family program participants