Letters To The Editor
IDAHO VIEWPOINTS
Traffic priorities need attention
I moved to Coeur d’Alene from Lewiston two years ago. I’m amazed that Highway 95 still goes through the center of this town.
Has anyone ever considered a bypass route so the through traffic need not make the tortuous journey past 10 stoplights? Most of the truck traffic could be eliminated without affecting local businesses at all.
Maybe Idaho Transportation Department efforts and funds should be directed toward that goal instead of stopgap measures such as eliminating left-turn lanes. Janet Callen Coeur d’Alene
Theater group’s work deserves review
As a Coeur d’Alene subscriber to The Spokesman-Review, I must protest your attitude to the arts life of our city.
I believe the arts life of a city, especially a small city, is an integral part of the richness of its character. The Lake City Playhouse has served the arts life here for more than 30 years with fine-quality community theatre activities. Yet The Spokesman-Review, in the voice of your arts critic Jim Kershner, has declined to review our work while reviewing the work of Spokane’s Civic, the Valley Rep and ACT.
Presently, the Lake City Playhouse is offering the Tony Award-winning musical “Into the Woods” with a cast whose professionalism and abilities rivals that of our larger colleagues throughout the Northwest. Yet when the theater requested a review and provided complimentary tickets for same, The Spokesman declined.
I must conclude that yours is not a newspaper of North Idaho. You may have a large office building in our town and you may have a section with a header called The Handle, but you are not our newspaper. I chose to subscribe to The Spokesman for the quality of the paper, but I am so committed to the attitude I’ve voiced here that when my subscription requires renewal, I shall have to seriously consider a change to the Coeur d’Alene paper. A.J. Frelin Coeur d’Alene
Editor’s note: Theater reviewer Jim Kershner does not review every community theater production. However, he did review the Lake City Playhouse’s excellent production of “The Secret Garden” last season and promises to review one of this season’s upcoming shows.
SPOKANE MATTERS
How STA missed the bus
Spokane Transit Authority wasted more than dollars when it constructed its new plaza downtown. It squandered a wonderful opportunity to utilize for noble civic purposes what are now vast empty spaces.
Imagine the chance STA passed up to set aside space for development of a museum or performing arts theatre on the upper level. Because STA remained committed to a grand downtown project after private sector participation fizzled, it should have solicited cultural organizations to consider participation in the project.
STA could have found a successful precedent for this in Tacoma, where Pierce County Transit and a theatre company teamed together to develope a downtown transit mall/park that included space for a new performing arts hall on the upper level. Their joint effort allowed them to share costs in developing a better facility than either could have individually afforded.
It’s vulgar that a building as well appointed as the plaza is designed to facilitate commerce in burger and fries on its upper level when that need is well served in nearby buildings. STA should have offered the public and Spokane’s struggling cultural institutions something better at the plaza in exchange for its huge cost overruns.
As governments ponder such investments in the future when funds for multiple civic wants are dwindling, analysis of multiple-use opportunities at such facilities should be required.
The Pacific Science Center proposal for the Riverfront Park Pavilion certainly exemplifies a means to restore that facility, while donors underwrite the cost of a new learning center for all citizens. Jonathan Feste Spokane
Harris, Hasson, just back off
Is there no end to Commissioners Phil Harris and Steve Hasson’s hunger for power?
First they seek control of the Spokane County Health District - a financially sound agency fulfilling its mission under the administration of its well-respected and competent director, Dr. John Beare.
Now, they are after Eric Skelton, a knowledgeable and capable man under whose leadership Spokane’s air quality has begun to improve.
Our county commissioners need to understand that citizens want professional leadership of the agencies that affect our health and quality of life.
Commissioners Hasson and Harris, we’ve had enough of your politically correct meddling and bullying of people who are doing the jobs they were hired to do. Kay Johnson Spokane
Pet project we need is rat control
Doug Clark wrote a sad, but true, story Nov. 9 about how infested this city is with crime (“I love the place but crime has us headed off course”). If you haven’t read it, find a copy.
The only part of this column that I disagree with is the ending. We aren’t headed there; we are there.
The crimes are more aggressive and violent than this city has ever seen before. We can’t afford more police protection, DARE, or a place to lock up the juveniles committing these crimes.
Yet we actually have people who want us taxpayers to pick up the tab for neutering their cats so they don’t have to. Then there’s a few who continually try to persuade the City Council to use our non-existent tax dollars to remove a concrete barrier and replace it with a $700,000 traffic light on a residential street. As I watch some of these City Council meetings, it makes me sick.
The people of Spokane had better get their priorities in order about using our hard-earned tax dollars where they’re needed by all, not just wanted by a few. D.M. Hill Spokane
GOVERNMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Representatives’ stand appreciated
On Nov. 1, Reps. Helen Chenoweth, R-Idaho, and George Nethercutt, R-Wash., co-sponsored HR2568. This bill should, once and for all, convince the Forest Service that the original intent of Congress was to protect traditional uses, including both motorized and nonmotorized craft, on the Wild and Scenic Snake River in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area.
The Hells Canyon Alliance, which represents a broad spectrum of citizens, businesses and organizations, including many of those who actually visit, love and enjoy Hells canyon, thank Chenoweth and Nethercutt for their leadership and conviction.
The Forest Service has persisted in attempts to exclude most of the public from this spectacular resource, ignoring language in the Hells Canyon Act recognizing both motorized and non-motorized river craft as valid uses of the entire river.
On paper, the agency’s latest management plan may appear generous. In fact, it severely slashes access by both private and commercial power boaters. This overly restrictive and impossibly complicated plan didn’t result from environmental concerns. Forest Service personnel acknowledged that it’s based, instead, on their perception of social issues.
Their plan, however, isn’t supported by the people they serve. The majority of comments sent to the Forest Service during its planning process supported shared use, not exclusive use for a few.
The Forest Service continues to move arrogantly forward, but Chenoweth and Nethercutt have listened to their constituents and are acting on their behalf. Sandra F. Mitchell, executive director Hells Canyon Alliance, Boise
Shared-use bill right for people, river
Legislation introduced by Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and Rep. Wes Cooley, R-Ore., will settle once and for all the issue of shared vs. exclusive use for floaters and powerboats on Hells Canyon’s Snake River. Shared use will prevail, as it should, thanks to the efforts of our congressional representatives, including Reps. Helen Chenoweth and George Nethercutt, and Sen. Dirk Kempthorne.
The well-being of Hells Canyon resources has never been at issue. The Forest Service is trying to resolve what its perceives as a social problem. Power boaters have been targeted for removal and unfair cutbacks in use. The vast majority of power boater visits are day use, with most of their time spent on the water or at hardened sites. Many of those who remain overnight sleep on their boats.
At present levels of use, Hells Canyon’s resources aren’t at risk. People safely boat the river’s rapids and enjoy everything it has to offer in a shared environment. This is unique in the Wild and Scenic Rivers system and deserves the protection this bill will provide. Kenneth Lee Jones Boise
Salmon story hit nail on head
The article “Scientists oppose Snake drawdowns” by Julie Titone is clearly outstanding. The truth about salmon recovery is now out.
The National Research Council clearly examined Northwest salmon issues. The article included the required steps necessary to recover salmon:
1. “… long-term survival depends upon genetic diversity within and between local breeding populations.” This is a brilliant, historically proven idea similar to the Grand Coulee Salmon Mitigation Project as begun about 1945.
2. Salmon harvest affects the number of returning salmon. Yes!
3. The effect of increasing river flow as well as dams in the river are small factors in salmon recovery.
Preservationists have misled the salmon recovery effort. Good, well-intentioned people have been misled. The Endangered Species Act has been terribly misused.
I’m for a new approach to salmon recovery efforts. Only scientific and economically effective recovery methods should be pursued. My utility bills reflect salmon recovery efforts, however the recovered salmon are hard to find.
Titone is truly perceptive. Next year’s salmon recovery efforts, in a worst-case scenario, could equal the resource required to build two new King Domes. May truth prevail. Mark E. Booker Othello, Wash.
Editorialist doesn’t deal in facts
I wish D.F. Oliveria would do research before writing editorials. They are consistently full of unsupported assertions, factual errors and illogic.
“Species act has evolved too far,” (Opinion, Nov.3 ) uses spotted owl protection to exemplify environmentalists using the Endangered Species Act (ESA) “to block the natural-resource industry, important public works projects and other activities on private and public lands.” Spotted owls are irrelevant to his argument; environmentalists filed suit to protect spotted owls not under the ESA but under the National Forest Management Act and National Environmental Protection Act.
The Forest Service named spotted owls as an indicator species because the decline of owls indicates forest death. Their protection may protect forests. As industrial logging is primarily responsible for killing forests, it’s reasonable to use spotted owl protection to stop industrial logging from killing more native forests.
Oliveria implies that by protecting habitat, the ESA “embraces liberal definitions for the unlawful ‘taking’ of an endangered animal.” To imply habitat protection is a liberal definition reveals Oliveria’s keen ignorance of even basic biology and constitutes a refusal to acknowledge unanimous opinion among biologists.
Oliveria quotes a scientist, “We have to admit that there’s a state of triage, and we have to choose where to focus our energies.” That’s a clear statement that we face a crisis of biodiversity. He mentions that “only six species have rebounded enough to warrant de-listing.” Both are powerful arguments for strengthening ESA, but Oliveria somehow twists them to “justify” ESA weakening. Derrick Jensen Spokane
SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION
Non-essentials crowd out real learning
I would like to respond to “Getting a fresh start,” Oct. 20. The article explained how $6,000 of federal drug education money was recently spent at Coeur d’Alene High School.
School Superintendent Doug Cresswell and school board member Wanda Quinn were among 15 adults who made “fools of themselves” zooming around the room like airplanes, singing Frank Sinatra songs and telling what color underwear they were wearing. The purpose was to teach about making good friends and good choices. School officials hope this program will help lower the school’s dropout rate.
All of this, while students missed one day of classes.
American education is being undermined by noneducational programs such as this and crowding out the basic skills that American students need. An international study of 13-year-olds found America ranked last in mathematics, 30 percent of high school students can’t locate Britain on a map of Europe, and 70 percent of all students are unable to read at grade level.
Public schools often promote politically correct attitudes rather than expand students’ knowledge and ability to think.
Seldom, if ever, have I witnessed such a horrendous mismanagement of tax dollars. Please don’t ask me to increase my property taxes for the sake of “education.” S.M. Marks Hayden Lake
PEOPLE IN SOCIETY
Halloween experiment reassuring
It seems that one cannot turn on the TV or radio, or read the newspaper without hearing how rude, ill-mannered, selfish and greedy children are today. I disagree with that idea.
My husband and I decided to do a simple experiment to find out how children will behave if presented with choices on Halloween. We put a variety of candy into a large, open bowl so the children could see what was available to them. When they knocked at the door, instead of the usual custom of doling out a set amount, the bowl was presented freely to them and they were told to help themselves to as much as they wanted. Most of the children took one or two pieces, some three. Certainly there were a few of the older children who took handfuls, but only two or three did that.
Our neighborhood has changed over the last several years, and we had an exceptionally large group of trick-or-treaters this year. Yet, we did not buy more candy than usual and we even had some left over.
If you think that we in some manner discouraged the children from taking more, that is, by facial expression, body language or some such, you are wrong. In fact, the children who took only one or two pieces were encouraged to take more.
When the children were presented with a choice they exercised their inner nature. Manners and an instinct for propriety and moral values are not dead. Mary F. Greenup Opportunity
Hunting is unnecessary blood sport
Being from the East Coast, I realize that I’m in a minority here in thinking hunting is abhorrent. I believe we have no right to take the lives of animals, especially when the animals not putting us in danger.
Humans used to hunt for survival, but somewhere along the line it became a sport. Now that we don’t need to hunt, I find it morally and ethically wrong.
On Nov. 5 I read an article (“World-record elk testimony to game conservation efforts,” Outdoors & Travel) in your paper praising some guy for killing a record-size tule elk. I read it twice, to clear up my confusion about praising this guy for killing the elk and at the same time talking about this animal being on the brink of extinction.
Excuse me for being confused, but it’s my assumption that if an animal is on the brink of extinction the last thing you want to do is kill it. You especially wouldn’t want to kill the largest, strongest one, because that eliminates it from the gene pool, which I assume is supposed to be getting larger and stronger.
I can’t express the sickened feeling I got when I looked at the picture of the murderer with his foot on the beautiful beast’s back in triumph, with a cup of Coke in his hand and an evil smile on his face. The poor animal’s face is buried in hay. I don’t know whether to be more disgusted or sad that our species has come to be proud of killing such a beautiful animal for mere sport. Deborah Silver Moses Lake