Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

Funding colleges sound investment

As a resident of Idaho, I have a unique request for Washington residents: Support your local community colleges in Spokane. They are the greatest resource you have for training, education and job production.

Thanks to the Community Colleges of Spokane, Idaho now has Harpers furniture company. When the plant was completed, furnished, equipped, etc., almost $40 million was invested. Much of that investment went to Spokane firms and businesses. Of all the jobs produced at Harpers, over 50 percent were filled by Spokane residents. Without CCS, we could not have recruited Harpers because we needed the combined resources and expertise of CCS and North Idaho College to meet the company’s needs.

Dr. Terry Brown, president of CCS, committed to being a full partner with NIC and everyone benefited, especially Spokane. We look forward to more joint ventures of this nature.

Residents of Spokane, you should be proud of your community colleges and realize that they are the best investment you can make.

Currently, the Washington Legislature is in session and community college budgets will be reduced if something isn’t done. I can’t imagine Spokane and Northeast Washington citizens would allow that to happen. I suggest that you contact your local legislator and Gov. Mike Lowry. Insist that there be no reduction in the community colleges’ budgets. You have one of the greatest community college systems in the United States. Recognize that and support them today. Bob Potter, president Jobs Plus, Inc., Coeur d’Alene

Keep helpful Head Start center open

I have learned that Spokane County Head Start is considering closing the Head Start center at Bethel A.M.E. Church due to budget cuts.

I am a refugee from Laos and have been in Spokane for six years. My children have attended this center for three years. This Head Start center has taught my kids English and has helped them learn to get along with other children. The people there have helped me to solve my personal family problems.

We do not have much money to drive to other Head Start centers. My wife does not drive and does not speak much English. If this center closes, then my children will stay home.

Please, keep this center open to help the Hmong refugee families. Thaoyer Yang Spokane

Save money; Buy council a condo

Once again, Councilman Joel Crosby and the City Council are bent on raping the Spokane taxpayers.

First it was the Transit Center, then it was ruining Riverfront Park by building the science center in its center. Now they’re digging deeper into our pockets to “protect” the view from the library. They want to steal Park Department and library funds to buy the Ronalds’ property. If that fails, they want to condemn the property.

By the time all the lawsuits are settled, this will have cost us taxpayers millions of dollars in compensation to the Ronalds and in legal fees. Then there’s the matter of taking a valuable piece of property off the tax roles when millions of dollars in property taxes could be collected over the years from the condominium owners.

I spent three hours in the library Thursday and saw no one giving more than a cursory glance at the view. Most of us go to the library to research, study or read. The view is a distraction.

What’s next? Why not build a skywalk from City Hall to the library so the council can enjoy the view without having to walk across the street?

I have a better idea! Why not let the Ronalds build their condominiums and the city buy one for a couple of hundred thousand dollars? They could build a skywalk from City Hall to the condo and the council could use it to enjoy the view and watch basketball on TV at the same time. F. Richard Bruya Spokane

Monument companies earn thanks

We feel that Washington and Tresko monument companies deserve a big thank you from all the people who have families and friends buried at Peone Cemetery.

Cruel vandals tipped over more than 90 monuments several weeks ago. On observing the destruction, families were just devastated.

Washington Monument Co. and Tresko Monument volunteered their help. They spent a day out there with their crews and equipment and set all of the monuments back up. Many of the old monuments were huge and heavy. Some volunteers were on hand with Harry Turner, who manages the cemetery.

We greatly appreciate this. Bob and Don Woehrlin Spokane

Here’s another top karate teacher

I was pleased to see the April 11 article by Jamie Tobias Neely on karate. I would like to bring attention to a recent Asian immigrant who is also operating a karate studio on the South Hill.

Jun Yoon is from South Korea. He has a master of science degree in physical education, was a gold medalist in the 1977 World Games, is a 23-time national champion in Korea, 1978 best tae kwon do competitor in Korea, and is a 1988 Olympic demonstration team member. He was the Korean national coach for the 1990 World Cup held in Madrid, Spain and a Korean National demonstration team member, traveling to over 40 countries.

Spokane is very fortunate to have attracted such talented athletes. Diana Bostrom Spokane

IN THE PAPER

Illegal logging story unbelievable

I was appalled when I read “Spokane men accused of illegal logging” (April 7). I have known the Nibarger family for over 27 years and could not believe that The Spokesman-Review would become a party to printing false and slanderous information.

The accidental cutting of a few trees on Mr. Lowe’s property was indeed unfortunate, but not newsworthy to the general public. It seems that the purpose of the article was to make Lowe’s family appear to be victims of the Nibarger family by coercing the newspaper into printing distorted and dishonest information.

The allegations about the horrible gates are ridiculous. The gates were put there to contain the animals on the ranch and to protect private property from trespassers (the Nibargers have had two quarter horses shot by trespassing hunters). Lowe was aware of the existence of the gates long before he purchased the property. The prison he indicates he lives in is obviously of his own choosing.

The Nibargers are the parents of six children, all of whom have opened the main gate several times a day since they were 6 or 7 years old, and the loving grandparents of seven grandchildren. The insinuation that they would harm the Lowe family is preposterous.

I feel that the integrity of The Spokesman-Review requires not only a printed retraction to this article but an apology to the Nibarger family. Glenda Merchant Spokane

Story biased, badly done

I am responding to the April 7 article by J. Todd Foster, “Spokane men accused of illegal logging.”

I thought it was unethical to print unfounded hearsay in what is supposed to be a reputable newspaper. Coming from a journalism background, I was astonished to read the accusations and outright lies about Lamont Nibarger and Lewis Kulczyk.

In college, I was taught to research the facts carefully and write a newsworthy article, saving opinions for the opinion pages. My editor would have ripped up my story and sent it back to me in little pieces, rather than have the integrity of the newspaper ranked right alongside that of the National Enquirer.

J. Todd Foster wrote as if it were fact that Nibarger has a long criminal record. It is easy to look up someone’s criminal record. If Foster had, he would have found that Nibarger has no criminal record, nor has he ever been brought to a criminal court.

Throughout the rest of the article, opinionated stabs were thrown against both men. Whatever Aaron Lowe’s intentions are, it’s obvious he wants to play the victim, regardless of the truth. And it’s obvious that J. Todd Foster doesn’t care about the facts as much as he does getting his story on the front page.

What we have here is a simple case of bad investigative reporting and an even worse case of editing. Juli Norris Spokane

Story not like what I’ve seen

I am writing in regard to your April 7 article, “Spokane men accused of illegal logging.”

I know the Nibarger family well. In fact, I lived on the ranch and worked with their son last summer and I plan to again this summer when we are both home from college. They are good people.

During the four months I lived there, Mr. Lowe and his father came through the property on a daily basis. Even though they were asked to drive slowly because of animals and small children, they would just fly by, going as fast as was possible on the road, with total disregard for anyone.

The gates that he talks about have been on the property for almost 20 years to secure the animals. The Nibargers - women, children and grandchildren included - have opened and closed the gates on a daily basis for years and they are all still well and healthy. The gates were already in existence when Lowe purchased the property and prior to his building a house. I have never known a ranch of any size that can operate without gates and cross fences.

Does Lowe think that he is so special that this longtime, existing rancher has to rearrange his ranching operations for the benefit of Lowe and his family’s comfort? It appears to me that if the Lowe family is a “prisoner on their own property,” it is Aaron Lowe who made them that. Rick Ballard Provo, Utah

Editor’s note: The Spokesman-Review stands by its story. On April 12, we did publish a correction concerning a secondary headline that appeared with the story.

Game, story promote youth violence

“Taking aim” (Our Generation, April 12) left me cold.

In this era of “it feels good so it must be right” thinking, today’s youths are sprinting down a path of destruction. Teen violence is escalating across the country and games such as Laser Quest aren’t helping.

The following quote was featured alongside the article: “I love shooting people. I’m simply addicted.”

What is our society coming to?

This attitude is a symptom of a deadly epidemic. The recent successes of violent films such as “Pulp Fiction” and “True Lies” are also symptoms of a larger problem. Desensitization to violence, be it through mass media, laser tag or any other glorification of violence, lowers apprehension towards utilizing aggression as a means of conflict resolution. The justification of Laser Quest as being simply a fun game is not a valid argument.

Socially accepted games instill a sense of right and wrong in those who participate. The goal of Laser Quest is to kill as many of your opponents as possible. Is this a socially responsible attitude to be cultivating?

Read the paper for one week and look for cases of youth violence. Cut the articles out. At the end of the week, look at the physical size of your collection. Again consider Laser Quest. Decide for yourself if this is the type of activity you want your community condoning.

We immunize our kids against disease. Youth violence is an epidemic that has been largely ignored. Start paying attention and quit accepting those factors which contribute. Josh Andrews Moscow, Idaho

THE ENVIRONMENT

Gorton a loyal corporate employee

It would be easy to label Sen. Slade Gorton a hypocrite, and a not very sophisticated one at that, for complaining about the $2 million environmentalists are spending on advertisements to counter a huge ad campaign by the timber industry.

Gorton said the money “would feed a lot of out-ofwork families on the Peninsula.” Yet Gorton is strangely silent about the tens of millions spent by the multi-billiondollar transnational timber corporations. Nor does Gorton suggest using the $83,679 in timber political action committee money he received between 1987 and 1994 to feed families on the Peninsula.

Further, one wonders where Gorton’s concern was for these families when he opposed ending the export of raw logs - and jobs - from the Pacific Northwest.

Finally, where was Gorton’s concern for the loggers’ jobs when these jobs were lost to automation?

It’s clear Gorton is not concerned about feeding loggers’ families. Instead, he’s concerned about making money for huge timber companies. Once again, it would be easy to label Gorton a hypocrite. In truth, he is merely a politician who knows the only way to stay in Washington, D.C., is by keeping his corporate masters happy.

The people of this once-great nation will some day rise up to throw off the corporations that have laid waste to our democracy. Perhaps then Gorton’s timber PAC money and the corporate billions can truly be used to feed working families all over the Northwest. Mary Jensen Spokane

Between extremes lies good sense

Regarding the ongoing forest health and salvage logging debate: Yes, we do have an ever-increasing body of scientific knowledge on forest ecosystems. Yes, dead and dying timber are necessary components of a healthy forest.

Yes, old growth is also a necessary component. Yes, mixed-age and young timber stands also play a necessary role.

Yes, brush fields, recently burned ground and open patches are also vital components of forest ecosystems.

The key is reaching the appropriate balance of these components and the various tree species they include.

Folks have loudly protested when an overly large proportion of the forest was in the open ground/brush field stage because clearcutting was the most-used method of harvesting timber. The result has been a shift away from clearcuts.

Why can’t these same folks admit the forest is equally out of balance when too large a proportion of the ground is covered with patches of timber that is dead and dying due to disease, insect infestation and fire? Is it because some logging will occur as part of the solution?

Achieving healthier forests will become much easier when - if - folks learn to work together rather than resort to polarizing rhetoric that distorts the facts.

It does neither the forest nor the general public a service when issues are presented as black or white instead of the complex array of grays that actually exist. Liz Codoni Calder, Idaho

I don’t expect neighbor to share poison

Boise Cascade plans to spray an insecticide, Carbaryl, (which kills all insect life) mixed with diesel fuel over approximately 10,000 acres in the Huckleberry and Summit ranges in response to a perceived spruce budworm problem. May and June are the helicopter spray months.

Carbaryl is a known carcinogen. It is known to leach into groundwater, is toxic to fish and kills young birds by driving parents from their territory for several days and killing all food sources. How long it continues killing is unknown.

Neighbor Boise Cascade apparently does not know the effects of mixing Carbaryl and diesel.

Other neighbors, the Spokane Tribe and the Colville Confederated Tribes, have traditionally gathered food and medicinal herbs in this area. How will Carbaryl affect them?

I am not a forester, chemist or biologist and I claim no expertise in natural resource management. I am Boise’s neighbor who expects nothing less than undisturbed enjoyment of my land and all its creatures without the fear that my bigger neighbor will arbitrarily spray the life out of the forests and uplands.

If the perceived infestation is real, I expect a remedy that will not poison the stream that runs through my land - something besides what is most expedient in the sixmonth/one-year financial and political term.

My good neighbors realize that what they undertake to do on their own land impacts their neighbors. They care. Mary Jokela Deer Park

OTHER TOPICS

Bags? Canvas best choice of all

“Which bag is better? Paper or plastic?” (IN Food, April 5) ignores the best choice: canvas.

Canvas won’t tear or puncture like paper and plastic, and can be reused indefinitely. Its strength allows you to carry more groceries with fewer bags. Canvas can be manufactured from readily renewable resources such as cotton, hemp or flax, and growers who forgo pesticides on these crops reduce the environmental damage standard farming procedures create.

Canvas bags require little maintenance, causing negligible environmental impact. Wash them occasionally (every other month or so) with a regular load of laundry and hang them to dry so they won’t shrink. There’s no special cleaning procedures and line drying consumes fewer resources than mechanical drying.

After years of use, handles may fray or sack bottoms may wear thin, creating simple sewing projects, but throwing away old handles creates far less garage than the multitude of paper or plastic sacks you will trash or recycle if you don’t invest in cloth bags.

You can buy a canvas grocery bag for as little as 99 cents and recoup that cost if you shop at a grocery that pays you to reuse bags.

Bill Franklin is right to encourage reusing paper or plastic grocery bags. But the better choice is to reduce consumption, to use paper or plastic only when you really need them.

Reduce first, reuse what you can and recycle what’s left. Cloth bags help us reduce and reuse. Kathy Hill Spokane

Sick mind behind hate mail

After reading the April 11 article concerning hate mail directed toward four minority students at Gonzaga University, I found myself in tears as well as extremely hurt and angry. As if life in 1995 isn’t frustrating and frightening enough, there is also this unreasonable and disgusting hate brewing out there.

My heart goes out to those four students being attacked. I can only imagine the pain, fear and anger they must be feeling.

My heart is also in pieces over the attacker(s). No one in their right mind would do this kind of thing. Obviously, the perpetrator is twisted, sick and ignorant and still does not realize or comprehend something vital: No matter the skin color, race, age or sex, we all have a right to a peaceful and nonthreatening existence. Christine Wilson Spokane