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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

Preservation efforts laudable

I am writing on behalf of the Eastern Washington State Historical Society Historic Preservation Committee to commend Spokane School District 81’s commitment to preserving historic school buildings such as Lewis and Clark High School, and Wilson, Hutton and Finch elementary schools.

While we recognize the importance of providing a safe environment for our students, it sometimes seems our society is too anxious to equate new with better. This committee is working to raise community awareness about the uniqueness and value of our architecturally and historically significant buildings.

We are happy that other organizations support this effort and are making the effort to save these buildings while adapting the buildings’ use to our modern culture.

Several organizations are working on plans for Spokane’s future. We hope historic preservation will be part of every group’s plan.

Without recognition of our past, it is often hard to feel a connection with what is happening now. If we tear down all that was unique and beautiful in the past because it is not convenient now, we may find that we have destroyed any sense of belonging and ownership of our present environment, and thus feel no commitment to preserving it. Linda Milsow, chairwoman Historic Preservation Committee, Spokane

Good that mansion is cared for

The photo and article ( “Rebuilding history, IN Life, May 14) regarding the refurbished Aubrey White mansion brought fond memories of carrying my 19-year-old bride over the threshold of our first home.

We’d been looking for a place when I discovered the basement apartment in the mansion. It had been the Whites’ library. The fireplace was grand, with an arched mirror and surrounding bookcases. Our bedroom was a curtained alcove. When I called Dollee to tell her about it, she said, “Grab it.” It took $40 of the $180 I made each month, but we loved it.

We’ll be married 43 years in August, and I still love to take friends by to show them our first home.

The workmanship throughout the building was exquisite. On the first floor lived the manager and a doctor and his wife. The second floor housed a lawyer and his wife. To us it was a castle. The old carriage house also had apartments. The grounds, which stretched from First to Second Avenue, looked like a park. We would imagine the White family and their servants as they lived the history of the old place.

With so much of history being gobbled up for other things, it’s exciting to see that Eric Bradley and Joe Welk have preserved a part of history that means much to my wife and me. Jack Meredith Spokane

More care needed electing, hiring

Spokane is suffering from a frenzy of negative attention regarding its city and county officials. If the United States can impeach a president, why can’t Spokane County correct an obvious mistake in the employment of Coroner Dexter Amend?

It’s obvious this individual is not capable of operating within procedures established by his own office. When relatives of a deceased individual protest the presence of Amend at their relative’s death scene, something is definitely wrong.

I have lived in Spokane County for 22 years and have endured the negative publicity associated with such officials at Steve Hasson, Terry Mangan and James R. Sweetser. Come on, Spokane, make your thoughts known and hire or elect people who will perform their duties with proper procedures, professionalism and courtesy. In Amend’s case that means dealing responsibly with the delicate feelings of relatives mourning their loss and performing his duties acceptably .

I genuinely fear the day when Amend is dealing with someone I know. Don Kirby Spokane

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

Too few Down’s babies allowed life

I read with mixed feelings (“Sign of Love, sign of progress,” Region, May 5) about the boy receiving the Catholic sacraments. I was touched by the beauty of the moment portrayed in the article and the welcome he received from his church despite having a disability.

On the other hand I was dismayed as I reflected on all the fetuses who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome and then are electively aborted because of the parents’ fears.

Studies show that 85-90 percent of those diagnosed trough a blood test performed on the mother are terminated. The irony is that the regional center for this testing is Sacred Heart Medical Center.

I only wish more health care providers and parents-to-be would realize Down syndrome is a gift of the Holy Spirit, rather than a condemning diagnosis. E. Mary Wright Spokane

Self-righteous few overreach, again

I read with disbelief the mud-slinging at Jessica Dubroff’s family after her fatal airplane accident. I felt the harshness of the stone hitting Sharma Shields. Both incidents left me marveling at the insensitivity of the self-righteous to fling dirt.

The new target is the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Animal rights activists feel compelled to condemn this organization because it granted a wish to a dying 17-year-old boy to hunt a Kodiak bear in Alaska.

Hunters defend their practices, in their own eyes and God’s, just as animal rights activists believe it is their duty to fight their fight. I make no judgment either way because it is irrelevant to the issue involved.

If it is within human capacity and the law, Make-a-Wish brings dying children a life raft amid a sea of death. It does not grant wishes based upon a narrow moral code or with strings attached.

I hope this undue criticism does not destroy the fiber of this loving organization.

Those who have never faced what this family faces cannot know the stress they endure daily. It is at the least insensitive and at the worst morally reprehensible to judge and condemn others at such a time. Mary Ruddis Spokane

Catholics hardly being ignored

Michael McGuire (“Double standard at work,” Letters, May 14) feels that Catholics are criticized for speaking out on abortion, the death penalty, etc. He asks, “Where is the fairness? Are Catholics to be seen and not heard?”

Aside from a dissenting letter or an occasional article expressing an opposing viewpoint, McGuire need not fear unfairness or that the Catholic Church is likely to be seen and not heard.

On the contrary, the Catholic Church is the only denomination that receives politically appointed ambassadors from every nation on earth and whose head, the pope, is allowed to address the United Nations and express Catholic wishes, opinions and positions on social issues to a world forum.

No other denomination is afforded this opportunity. Only the Catholic Church, which is a religious and political power, enjoys such a position of influence. Michael McMorris Spokane

BUSINESS AND LABOR

Let’s have some non-wood paper

Demand for non-wood paper is growing rapidly in the Northwest and merchants should satisfy it. There are many alternatives out there that ought to be acknowledged.

Concerns have recently surfaced about bleaching wood paper and the way it affects our environment. People are worried about depletion of trees and the waste of paper.

I ask that local stores start selling an alternative, non-wood paper. The public would appreciate it and lots of trees would be saved. Jacqueline C. Johnson Spokane

Men need places for diapering, too

I am surprised to realize how few businesses in Spokane have areas in their mens’ rooms for changing a baby. Most places have baby changing stations or counters in the ladies’ room, but I am hard-pressed to find one in a men’s room.

I was in Sears recently with my son and went into the restroom to change him. Not only was there no changing station, there wasn’t even a counter for me to set him on.

I asked an employee where I could change the baby. She told me they had no facilities except in the ladies’ room. I was forced to find my wife so she could change him.

With so many single fathers these days, I’m surprised more businesses don’t accommodate them. If my son and I were shopping without my wife, I’m not sure what I would have done.

In this age of equal rights, you would think that businesses would be more receptive the idea of men with babies. I think it’s rather discriminatory, not to mention unfair to the women who must change the baby because the men cannot.

Business owners, beware: If it’s going to be inconvenient for me to shop with my son, I may not shop at all. I’ll certainly patronize a place that can accommodate me and my son before one that doesn’t. Derek Altamirano Colville, Wash.

Critic of corporations mistaken

Russ Moritz’s recent guest editorial (Street level, April 28) attacking the goals and influence of American corporations was rife with false assumptions.

The commentary claimed automation and technology are used by timber companies to eliminate jobs in the region. A recent report by Professor Charles Keegan at the University of Montana suggests the opposite, noting a consistent trend toward “… more workers per unit volume of timber harvested.”

The commentary also remarked that local timber corporations exhausted the timber supply here in the Intermountain Region and were leaving to pursue cheap foreign timber. In fact, the standing volume of timber has steadily increased in Idaho for at least the last 40 years as a result of corporate and public stewardship.

A report from the University of Idaho’s Policy Analysis Group notes, “Wood volume in Idaho forests increased by 12 percent between 1952 and 1987. Annual volume growth has been twice the annual timber harvest during that period.”

Timber jobs are being lost here in the Inland West. However, the facts indicate that rather than being the cause of the problem, corporations and their workers are victims of the political gridlock that has engulfed the U.S. Forest Service - gridlock fueled by shrill rhetoric and inaccurate allegations. Ken Kohli, communications director Intermountain Forest Industry Association

GASOLINE TALLY

Pricey cloud has silver lining

The public seems very upset by the rising price of gasoline during the past month. Regardless of the reasons, I believe much good is coming out of this crisis.

As prices rise, everyday travelers become aware of their petroleum use. Drivers are beginning to use alternative transportation and are using less gasoline.

This conservation of gasoline is a great way of teaching people to car pool and make fewer unneeded trips. I’ve heard my friends complain about the price of gas and many are making changes.

Is this the only way to teach our wasteful citizens about conservation? Maybe. I find myself running multiple errands with a friend to save money on gasoline. As a result, my gas cost has begun to drop. I still accomplish my tasks, but in a much more economical way.

Although this is an expensive lesson, I am beginning to feel it is the best way to educate the public. Let’s continue for awhile with the high-priced gasoline and see how our consumption changes. After all, we may cure the problem of overcrowded streets and poor air quality. Jesse Wolff Spokane

What’s needed is better mileage

We have all been paying more for a gallon of gas at the pump lately. The question is whether Congress will really do something about it, or just continue to use this as an opportunity for political grandstanding.

Sen. Bob Dole plans to offer a measure to repeal the 4.3-cent gas tax, ostensibly to provide consumers relief. In reality, this would do little for consumers and might result in windfall profits for oil companies. This is shortsighted election-year politics.

How much has Dole, or our Idaho senators and representatives taken in oil PAC money? A good question to explore, indeed, in light of what is being proposed.

Sens. Dale Bumpers (D-Ark.) and Richard Bryan (D-Nev.), on the other hand, plan to offer an amendment to Dole’s measure that would actually make a difference, both at the pump and to the environment. They will propose higher gas mileage standards for cars and light trucks. Their action will give the Senate an opportunity to vote for the biggest single step the U.S. can take to reduce demand and protect our environment - and pocketbooks.

I would rather save over $500 a year at the pump, reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, which is causing global warming, and cut emissions of carcinogenic hydrocarbons that pollute the air we breathe. This is what will happen if we get more miles from each gallon of gas we use.

If Sens. Larry Craig and Dirk Kempthorne really want to do something besides increase oil industry profits, they should support the Bumpers-Bryan amendment. David Hunt Coeur d’Alene

OTHER TOPICS

Call it enlightened self-interest

Oftentimes the immediate gains humans receive from protecting endangered plants and animals go without much discussion. As humans, we depend on these endangered plants and animals just as they depend on us. By realizing this, we can remind ourselves of our own place in nature and how hard it could be without these plants and animals.

Currently, over 40 percent of prescription drugs in the U.S. come from natural substances. By destroying our natural resources we are destroying things that are benefiting us and our health. If everyone does their part, we can keep all the links in nature’s cycle, and we will not have to worry about anything becoming extinct - ourselves included. Carmin M. Gilbert Cheney

Pro choice and pro Dole

I am reluctantly pro choice and pro right to die. However, I strongly and certainly do not want these personal dramas mandated out of Washington, D.C., by long-term politicians. So, I will vote with the conservatives and Bob Dole.

These personal things should be decided by states and by community standards, not by East Coast bureaucrats and politicians. Alice F. Peck Liberty Lake