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Steamboat Springs — In the words of Alice, the debate about DeVincentis' e-mails gets "curiouser and curiouser".

In Sunday's paper, Hill Blackett (or "one reader") is quoted as feeling the e-mails should not have been published as it "was a private matter." Let's look at that. DeVencentis sent the e-mails at a time he occupied a position of public trust as a public school administrator. Now, when the e-mails are made public, he still occupies a similar position of public trust on the School Board He sent the e-mails on a school (public) computer, on a school (public) e-mail account and therefore presumably also on school (public) time. A reading of the e-mails shows that in his capacity as a public representative of Steamboat he lied to the Mercer Island School Board, worked to undermine his superior and as a representative of Steamboat spewed vitriol wherever he could in total violation of his public obligations and responsibilities. What on earth could be more "public" or with him still on the School Board more of a continuing public concern?

Again looking at Sunday's edition, to adopt Elaine Quinn's (or "another reader's") quoted feeling that publication of the e-mails was inappropriate because the matter was old, is like saying that the x-ray showing the cancer was several years old and so should be ignored. Is there anyone at all who feels those e-mails show merely a temporary departure from DeVencentis' normal conduct. If there is anyone, then he/she will be the same person who feels the cancer was just a momentary physical abnormality to be ignored going forward. Can you even imagine what we would find if we had unfettered access to DeVencentis' private e-mails from the recent past and currently?

Like any other cancer, DeVencentis needs to be purged from the body, in this case the body politic, despite there being from time to time (when he gets caught) welcome, but temporary, remission from his outrageous behavior.

Rick Dowden

Steamboat Springs