Letters To The Editor

Get with the program

Again the State B basketball tournament was a rousing success. Except for a few weak teams from the Sea-Tac area, the competition was much stronger than in years past. I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the tournament even if my team didn’t win it all. Dayton and Toutle Lake were fine representatives in the boys finals, plus Wishkah and Tekoa-Oakesdale in the girls.

But once more the heads of the tournament cheapened it by cutting back on the quality of the official tournament program. Clark-McCall Communications did a deplorable job using the cheapest of materials, plus raising the price of the program one dollar. That is a 25-percent increase for a substandard product.

In the past the programs printed used materials that could be used for many years to come. Now we have a base product where the pages will turn yellow within a few years. These young men and women who participated in the tournament deserve more than that. Thirty or 40 years from now they will want to show their kids and grandchildren that they were on a team in this past year’s tournament, but the photographs are so cheesy that they will fade in time and no one will recognize them.

The cover on the girls part was not a state championship photo, many of the facts in the program were erroneous, and most photos are too dark and will only get worse as the years go by.

When someone brought this to the attention of one of the tournament staff, his reply was, “Don’t feel so bad, the A programs are worse.” Does that tell you something? I hope when they open the next B tournament in the new arena, the staff will invest a few more dollars for a quality product. Edward M. Devlin Garfield, Wa.

It’s no longer a game

This is in response to the “reneged” deal between the Emerald Racing Association and Playfair. This reminds me of a childhood game of marbles. As long as everyone agreed on a set of rules, everyone got a fair chance to win. But there was someone who always wanted it their way by bullying the others and walked away with their ill-gotten spoils.

The Emerald Racing Association at first got its way, then made “concessions.” Everyone was happy, for a while at least. Then they changed their minds! They have the power to change the outdated laws to allow double-carding, but have changed their minds. Perhaps they are ruled by greed? Yes! If the concessions were still in effect, that would mean they would have to share, compromising their profits to benefit Playfair.

Keep in mind, Playfair had simulcasts to the old Longacres last year. It was a good thing, turned sour with long lines and inefficient, incompetent tellers.

Emerald Racing Association’s short-sightedness and greed put Playfair’s future in jeopardy. Ironic, isn’t it? ERA, you have the steelies but we have the cat’s eye.

Tina Pettit Spokane Story fired cheap shot

When the liberals have no defense, the first thing they do is call every conservative a right-wing extremist.

Such is the case with Rich Landers’ article in the sports section on March 7. I may agree with him on House Bill 1617. However, this has nothing to do with the right wingers (if there is such a thing). This article was not meant to help the environment, but to get the message across that everyone who disagrees with a Liberal is a right-wing extremist.

All the fanatic Democratic liberals want is more taxes, more government and greater control over the American people. The people spoke out in the last election when they said enough is enough.

Generally speaking, the Contract with Washington is a good thing. We need to trim government and still protect our natural resources.

To call these legislators right-wing extremists is a cheap shot. Gale E. Hart Veradale

B officials lacked

The annual, exciting March Madness of the State B basketball tourney is over, and a congratulations to all the boys and girls teams involved is in order.

I was able to attend seven games during the four days of the boys tournament and thoroughly enjoyed the last year in the Boone Street Barn.

What I didn’t enjoy was seeing the incredibly inconsistent, sporadic quality of the officiating during some of the games. The first half of the SpragueHarrington vs. Toutle Lake semifinal game, as an example, was the most biased, one-sided performance that I have ever witnessed in over 30 years of watching basketball at levels from pee-wee ball to the professional level.

To me, the most unfortunate part of this is that the game should be decided by the skills and the performances of the athletes from each team, not by the ineptness or the prejudice of the officials, especially when state tournament time rolls around. I did notice that one of the games had a female official, and she did a fine job.

I am not familiar with the selection process that the WIAA uses in choosing the officials for the state tourney, but it does not seem to be producing the consistent quality of officiating that I believe these student-athletes deserve. Kevin Gaffney Elk, Wash.

No place like the B

All sports role models do not play in the NBA, NFL or professional baseball. For the past four years, I have been taking my daughter, who is now in the eighth grade, to watch the WIAA girls State B basketball tournament at Spokane Falls. My daughter started following a young lady from Davenport High School named Jennifer Stinson. The first year my daughter got an autograph from (Davenport’s) Stacia Marriott and she still has that. This being Jennifer’s senior year, we made the trip to Spokane Falls to watch Davenport. After the game, my daughter approached coach (Jim) Stinson and asked him if he could get Jennifer to autograph her program. Coach Stinson said sure and took the book. About 10 minutes later Jennifer came up in the stands to talk with my daughter and signed her book with, “To Kristi Wilson, Best Wishes, Jennifer Stinson 42/43.” To say the least, this made my daughter’s day, week, life or whatever. My daughter wrote a letter to Jennifer and I am happy to say that Jennifer replied and sent a picture in her basketball uniform.

I would like to publicly thank Jennifer Stinson, coach Stinson, Davenport Gorillas, WIAA officials and the City of Spokane for hosting the State B basketball tournament and the positive role you produce for our young people. I am sure that my daughter is not the only one who has been touched by the athletes participating, and they should know that they are not only playing for their respective communities and schools but for our future players. Thank you. Eldon L. Wilson Nespelem, Wash.

Coliseum deserves better

I would just like to say I appreciated Dan Weaver’s column about the Coliseum in (the March 12) paper. His quote, “The Coliseum was a wonderful addition to Spokane before Spokane outgrew it,” was a nice tribute to the old gal. I am offended and infuriated by the term “the old barn”. That to me is like calling a oncebeautiful woman an old hag. Whoever coined that term originally should be ashamed. I have a hunch they weren’t around, as I was, in the ‘40s and early ‘50s. My dad used to take me to the fights back in the ‘40s at the old 161st Infantry Armory, and that is where we played our basketball games when I was in high school. We thought it was a pretty neat place back then, but in fact it was a “barn”.

I could go on and on about all the great evenings I spent at the Coliseum watching the Flyers, Al Hirt, Tijuana Brass, Andy Williams, Ferrante and Teicher, Moore and Marciano, North Central High School reunion in 1970. I just have to wonder if there is anybody of my generation, or older, who feels the way I do about this great old place being called the “Boone Street Barn.” Please let the old girl die with some dignity. Dennis Pederson Spokane

xxxx