Opinion

I was among many who converged on Deaconness Health Center, Saturday, to receive my second COVID-19 shot. It went smoothly due to the efficiency & dedication of all those working to help eradicate this awful virus.

"Sorry Salmon" as stated by Susan Frankovich in a recent letter to the editor ("Sorry, Snake River salmon," March 3), references the wrong issue for our Northwest needs. Dams are providing a necessary function now and into the future. The salmon of the Columbia River system are an important and necessary regional resource. This issue is NOT an "either/or” issue, they are not mutually exclusive endeavors. The goals of both can be met if we have the will.

Surely the folks of Eastern Washington with our three close universities and excellent community colleges, PBS and "NOVA" on our television, etc., can be informed regarding habitat and the interwoven ecosystem we are privileged to be part of.

Regarding (Shawn Vestal's) column about the covenants on deeds ("War of words at heart of court ruling on covenants," Feb. 28).

In response to Jonathan Glover’s article “Growing options to replace cow milk” (March 3), he cites a 2016 study stating that the science on calcium in cow's milk is not conclusive and that milk may lead to osteoporosis. He also discusses the possible impact of bovine growth hormones.

Being a high school senior during a global pandemic is tough, to say the least.

A year into the pandemic, a lot has changed. And we’re reminded of that every time we go outside (if we go outside). Masks have joined the traditional don’t-leave-home-without-them trifecta of keys, wallets and phones – and they are here to stay.

Washington’s small craft brewers and their employees need the continued help of state legislators and Congress. Opening at 25% capacity is a start, but it is not a sustainable business model.

Due to my work, I have had the opportunity to travel widely in many parts of the world. I’ve spent significant time in most all of the Asian countries as well as most of the Eastern and Western European countries. In addition, on two separate occasions I was privileged to live in the country of Hungary.

As I understand it, President Biden will style federal hiring practices so as to “… achieve greater diversity at all levels of the institution.” Here we go again, worshiping at the altar of skin color rather than merit.

A big issue in the news these days is the proposal to remove dams from the Lower Snake to improve salmon runs. Having grown up at the mouth of the Columbia, catching and eating lots of salmon and other seafood, because hamburger cost money while seafood was free for the gathering, I wonder if dam removal is the answer. Yes, salmon returning to the Snake are declining, though they have been dealing with the dams for decades. So, why are the runs in the downstream and coastal rivers without dams declining? Why is digging for razor clams and catching Dungeness crab closed on the coast?

Last week, over 1,500 Americans attended a virtual debate on election integrity. Debaters were passionate yet civil. The moderator simply moderated. There was minimal impugning of motives and no personal attacks. It was delightfully refreshing. And the event proved it’s possible to discuss a question so contentious that even the brave souls of Braver Angels agonized over having the debate at all.

I am a second-year MSW (master's in social work) student with Eastern Washington University. I am taking an advocacy class, and my group is doing our advocacy on tenant rights, and the upcoming evictions.

As a left-leaning independent, I find it fascinating to do autopsies on political mistakes to try to determine what caused them. Ego is always a safe answer, as in the case of the Ted Cruz Excellent Adventure to Mexico while his constituency fought record-breaking cold and its related hardships.