The news about the Powerhouse Science Center is upsetting, but the La Plata County Humane Society is in similar financial shape.

As recently as 2012, the LPCHS Thrift Store was grossing more than $1 million a year. In July 2014, the board of directors hired a new thrift-store director. This person had no retail or merchandising experience.

Within a few months, 90 percent of the long-term staff and volunteers were gone, resulting in a financial disaster as reflected in current thrift store cash-flow reports. Any staff member or volunteer who raised concerns about the state of the thrift store were fired, removed or banned from the premises – with the endorsement of the board. The board tried to put a positive spin on the bad financial news, setting minimal budget targets and claiming that the thrift store was meeting its goals.

In its open letter (Herald, May 3), the board asserted that “under the direction of our current Thrift Store director, we now have a better store, a better shopping experience and a better producing income source.” In recent months, the thrift store could not even meet the low bar set by the director and board.

Thus, on May 11, the board-chosen thrift store director was fired.

The board needs to understand and admit that its open letter was ill-informed and ill-advised.

Will it now apologize to those who tried to bring these issues to the board’s attention and were banned as a result? Many dedicated people have left the organization because of the board’s failure to act.

The board has a fiduciary responsibility to protect the homeless and abused animals. How does the board plan to protect and secure LPCHS’s assets in the future?

Edith Balceris

Bayfield

Wendy Ludgewait

Durango