Sat., April 12, 2008
Morning combo meal
Consider this both your weekend loose thread and your link to Saturday's editorial.
Matter of Opinion archive for Jan. 1, 2008
SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2008
FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2008
Fri., April 11, 2008
Keo Chronicles: April 12, 1945
(AP Archive photo)This afternoon we were startled and shocked to hear of the death of President Roosevelt. Eva first heard it in the drug store. When we turned on the radio, every station was buzzing with the news and commercial programs were canceled.And there's been…
Fri., April 11, 2008
Pass the rose bud bong, dude
(S-R photo by Jesse Tinsley)From our editorial todayThe Spokane City Council should have shown more thoughtfulness Monday when it adopted a feel-good ordinance that even the attorney who drafted it said won't keep people from using drugs. What began as a proposal to ban the…
THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2008
Thu., April 10, 2008
Drive at 5
Well, I'm just about to pack up and leave West Central. The day sped by.Once upon a time, I wanted to do a one-minute story project. Set up a booth, a computer and invite people to tell us their one-minute stories. Today, it felt like…
Thu., April 10, 2008
Disability Programs: Everyone counts
Beverly Nunn is the program director for three programs here at West Central that serve people with disabilities. They are Pathways to Employment/Community Access and Learning Skills Center.The programs have about 90 to 95 participants, ages 16 to almost 90.A community center should include programs…
Thu., April 10, 2008
West Central Coalition: The power of many
Don Higgins just walked by and told me this:One of our functions is to work on special projects and in order to do that, we created the West Central Area Coalition. It's a coalition of the area schools, the health and social service providers, area…
Thu., April 10, 2008
How your federal income tax dollar is divvied up
Check out this slideshow.42.2 cents for military/defense22 cents for health.10 cents interest on national debt.3.3 cents on housing assistance/community development programs. 4.4 cents for elementary, secondary and higher education and employment training centers..1 penny goes to foreign affairs, including foreign humanitarian assistance.Sound about right to…
Thu., April 10, 2008
Famous Photos
I'm sitting here with Ella Horseman. She's a teacher's aide here in the Head Start program. Her hobby is going to events and concerts where famous people will be, mostly at Northern Quest Casino.She's raising her grandchildren. Her daughter died in 2005. She says she…
Thu., April 10, 2008
Eavesdropping on Leonard Pitts Jr.
Syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts Jr., whose work appears in The Spokesman-Review, has begun holding weekly on-line chats at www.miamiherald.com. You can read some excerpts from this week's session by clicking on the rest of this post. For those who want to check it out for…
Thu., April 10, 2008
West Central: See you there
Thanks to blog regular commenter, JeanieSpokane for giving address and directions for West Central.It's at 1603 N. Belt, which is on Spokane's Near North Side.If you know where Bloomsday's Doomsday Hill is, well the Community Center is right at the top of the hill.The phone…
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2008
Wed., April 9, 2008
Live blogging at West Central Community Center
Instead of the Drive at 5, this announcement:A Matter of Opinion will be blogging live from the West Central Community Center from about 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow.Come visit or look for frequent posts from that locale.Until tomorrow...
Wed., April 9, 2008
Police ombudsman: It's a go!
"The City and Guild have reached a tentative agreement for the creation of an ombudsman to provide external oversight of the SPD," Marlene Feist just informed us in a City Hall press release.Among the highlights in the agreement, the ombudsman would have the authority to:Take…
Wed., April 9, 2008
Loose Thread Wednesday
The roofs are shining from the rain,The sparrows twitter as they fly,And with a windy April graceThe little clouds go by.Yet the back yards are bare and brownWith only one unchanging tree--I could not be so sure of SpringSave that it sings in me.-- Sara…
TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2008
Tue., April 8, 2008
Keo Chronicles: April 10, 1945
(Keo in her powder room, circa 1940s)Mildred and her mother called this eve -- they were on their way to the P.T.A. at Bancroft School. I started the ice box cookies today for the tea.A simple entry, but I am intrigued with the drop-in visitors…
Tue., April 8, 2008
Verner: Just one right-hand man
Our editorial today suggests that Mayor Mary Verner should stick with just one second in command. Mark Early, her former chief of staff, resigned last week. This leaves Ted Danek, city administrator.The money savings, our edit said, should be spent on another priority:Now, after four…
MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2008
Mon., April 7, 2008
Drive at 5: World ending in 2012?
(Poster from On the Beach, the 1950s film in which the world ends in 1964 due to nuclear war.)Hah! Did I get your attention? Pretending to be a blogger whose livelihood depends on hits. (Shouldn't joke. Could happen!)Anyway, on your way home, ponder this: There…
Mon., April 7, 2008
Seattle Times to lay off 200 staffers
Is there some sad irony in the day the Pulitzer Prizes are announced, huge layoffs are also announced at The Seattle Times?Staff members who attended a meeting with Executive Editor David Boardman said they were told about 45 newsroom positions would be eliminated. At least…
Mon., April 7, 2008
Does blogging kill?
Here at The Spokesman-Review, blogging is still a fairly optional process. Those who are interested can usually blog. But except for Dave Oliveria, who works full time at his wildly popular Huckleberries blog, the rest of us have taken blogging on as an additional duty.We…
Mon., April 7, 2008
Raceway memories: Worth keeping?
(S-R file photo)Our editorial today urged County Commissioners to really consider whether a raceway park purchase is in the best interest of most citizens.When county commissioners meet Tuesday, they should ask themselves if the best role for them is to tie up millions of tax…
FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2008
Fri., April 4, 2008
Our view: Give a life
Recent organ donation stories prompted us to urge awareness and involvement in organ donation. Many people die while on the waiting list for a transplant; many die without having signed an organ donor registration.Nevaeh was able to save lives even when she tragically lost hers.…
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2008
Thu., April 3, 2008
Loose thread
We haven't gotten as many letters as usual, nor have we seen as much blog traffic this week as heretofore. I hope that means everyone is enjoying the spring-break weather outside. Keep an eye out for what you might want to share when you get…
Thu., April 3, 2008
Today's editorial: Travel Green
(Mike Prager/S-R photo)STA and other entities are pushing their "Travel Green" program this month, encouraging every commuter to take an alternative form of transportation at least one day during April. We hope, though, the awareness generated will create lifelong earth-friendly commuters.Do you have a bus/bike/walk/carpool…
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008
Wed., April 2, 2008
Our view: Still homeless
(In this Brian Plonka/S-R photo, a Stevens Elementary student hurdles a pile of leaves next to a homeless camp along Napa Street, Nov. 2, 2007)Today's editorial urges the regional housing task force under consideration to get underway quickly and come up with real solutions. The…
TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2008
Tue., April 1, 2008
The end of racism?
If you haven't yet, treat yourself to a read of the guest column we ran today, already referenced in the post below.It begins:On March 26, noted conservative scholar Dinesh D'Souza presented a lecture titled "Racism is not the Problem" at Washington State University's main campus…
Tue., April 1, 2008
Intellectual diversity on racial diversity
The director of the Foley Public Policy Institute at WSU contributed today's guest column, which I thought was a wonderfully written admonition to those who in practice (if not in theory) seek to eliminate the accommodation of minority opinions in the booking of guest speakers.…
A Matter of Opinion is really a matter of three opinions – those held by the people responsible for the opinion pages of The Spokesman-Review. Check in regularly to find out what they’re up to, what they think and where they differ and to joust with them if you want.
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