Letters To The Editor

ICE STORM ‘96

Let me spell it out for you

Energy we took for granted.

Losing it changes one’s perspective and behavior.

Everyone helping each other.

Consider it all joy, when you encounter various trials (James 1:2).

Take time to slow your pace of life, even when the lights return.

Remember this as a lesson of human’s humble position to Mother Nature.

Is it ever going to come back on?

Cold, crashing trees; crunchy ice; cold linemen - conquering heroes; caring citizens.

I can enjoy life without TV and get to know my family and friends.

Thankfulness and the simple things of life we forget to appreciate.

You won’t take electricity for granted from now on, I hope! Robert Kowal Spokane

We’re paying for bad decisions

I sat in my cold, dark house on Saturday morning (Nov. 23) reading by lantern light “”WWP refuses help.” I sat Sunday morning (Nov. 24), again reading by lantern, “… advised by many that they may be without power for another week.” The brilliant logic and decision making power of WWP is amazing.

The ice storm was a natural phenomenon, but the fact that hundreds of branches hung over power lines was not. It’s WWP’s responsibility to assure that limbs are clear of the power lines. Had the company done the responsible thing when weather was good this wouldn’t have been the unmitigated disaster it is. If only half the overhanging branches had been trimmed, 20,000 customers (60,000 people) wouldn’t be freezing in the dark many days later.

What did they do with the money they saved from not trimming as they should? How about several million dollars down the tubes in a questionable merger, and they just gave $1 million to Washington State University. Go Cougs! Freeze Spokane!

Every WWP stockholder who was without power should sell their stock all at once. WWP Chairman Paul Redmond seems to watch stock prices better than his business. Maybe that would get his attention.

I’m not impressed by WWP’s ability to run its monopoly effectively. I’m just cold. Paul Lecoq Spokane

Headline was ‘outrageous’

We were outraged to read the inaccurate, tabloid-type headline “WWP turns away offer of help” on the front page (Nov. 23).

WWP’s workers, who are risking their lives in cold, icy, dangerous conditions, deserve our thanks and support, not this sensational, yellow journalism.

The newspaper, as the voice of the community, could have spoken out in a positive way, recognizing the heroic efforts of WWP and fostering the spirit of community teamwork which will get us through this crisis. Instead, the Spokesman-Review chose the low road, opting for sensationalism and inaccuracy. Richard P. Susan Riggs Spokane

It’s all in the timing

Well here I am, Day 2, Night 2, of Ice Storm 1996. All in all, it hasn’t been that bad. I have my battery-operated TV and heat from the kitchen range.

But the next time we have weather like this, I recommend that we celebrate it in July or August. That way, if we get tired of it, we could go to the beach or have a barbecue. At least the days would be longer. Is that too much to ask? Ray Campbell Spokane

Debris operation excellent

I have never written a letter to the editor before, but Saturday, I was moved to do so. My dad and I were hauling all the broken trees and branches to Albi Stadium and cleaning up the debris in my yard from the ice storm. We were both sure we would have to wait in line for a long time because there was so much damage and so many loads heading that way.

Boy, were we surprised when we got there and the area was so well organized! We went straight in, unloaded and got out within a very short time. I was impressed with the organization of it all. With everything else the residents of Spokane had to deal with, it was nice to have this process go smoothly. Thank you for taking the debris, too. I have no idea what else I would have done with it. Pat Waller Spokane

Showed why we need traffic circles

If ever a far-reaching concept was vindicated by the onset of Ice Storm ‘96, I’d say its the concept of British-style traffic circles, which I’ve been appealing for for many years.

While Spokane’s drivers proved unfailingly gracious at observing four-way stop rules at our many failed traffic light intersections, they couldn’t avoid the inevitable massive congestion caused by our obsolete intersection configuration. That proved even more true when some traffic lights came back on only blinking red one way and yellow the other, and so introduced an element of danger.

I hope traffic engineers everywhere will take advantage of this opportunity to push for a feature that has greater potential to ease congestion than anything I’ve seen to date. Certainly, our lives and resources depend on keeping traffic flowing. Traffic circles are well-proven substitutes for traffic lights in many other nations. Philip J. Mulligan Spokane

Clark’s shelter column terrific

Bravo to Doug Clark for his Nov. 24 column (“Cuisine great, privacy lacking at storm shelter). I, along with my mother and Clark’s mother, have taken refuge at a dear neighbor’s home, and we enjoyed many much-needed chuckles. Thanks, Doug. Gretchen George Spokane

Now, let it be

Regarding Storm Journals and all related storm-weary genre inches: Wah Wah Waaa! Ugh Aarrgh! The collective self-indulgent sobbing is making me retch. Get over it, already! Happy Thanksgiving. C. March Spokane

GIVING THANKS

Firefighter brought roses

My neighbors, Jim and Nancy Lyons, had a fire at their house early Friday morning (Nov. 22). Saturday, as I was talking to them in the street, a van with a family in it pulled up in front of us. A gentleman got out carrying a bag in his hands. He approached us and introduced himself to as Jim, one of the firefighters that had been at their house.

He told them he had been the one to cut the hole in their roof and how sorry he was for having had to do that. He then proceeded to give a dozen roses to Nancy.

My neighbor explained that the fire crew had saved his house and that his family was very thankful for the work they had done. The firefighter inquired how things were going and then left, with his family in the van and tears in our eyes.

All in our neighborhood agree, this firefighter is truly an honor to his profession. Lori Pupo Spokane

Thanks, WWP people, outside crews

With the recent ice storm, we’ve heard lots of complaining about Washington Water Power. We have done a little complaining ourselves. Being without power for 72 hours was no picnic. It was the longest three days of our lives and we never want to experience it again.

We would like commend all WWP employees for their monumental effort in putting this city back together after such a devastating storm. We realize what an enormous job it is to restore power to so many people in a short period. We were lucky to only be without power for three days. It could have been much worse. Our hearts go out to those who are still without power.

We realize WWP employees were also without power and had their families and homes to worry about, along with working long hours to get things running again.

We also extend our thanks to the numerous crews from around the region who came to our rescue. They were away from their families, working grueling long hours in the worst of conditions. Mark & Jill Barrett Spokane

Values shone in the dark

I recently returned to the Inland Northwest after almost two years on a tropical island in the Western Pacific. I always enjoyed the snow, but the severe weather and accompanying ice have caused me to miss the perpetual warm weather to which I had grown accustomed.

Difficulties resulting from loss of electrical power here reminded me of another aspect of my time in the tropics. Last April, the electrical generators on one of the administrative center islands became inoperative. This resulted in power loss to all but a few essential services for almost four months. We’d heard reports of looting and other crimes in large metropolitan areas of the United States where power outages had recently occurred.

When I visited the powerless island, I walked the dark streets in total security. An island friend pointed out to me how the people of his supposedly less-civilized nation had gone for weeks without power. They had fewer problems than people in our advanced society had experienced in just a few hours without electricity. The islanders attributed their comparative success to a more intact culture. They viewed our society as too divided.

During the past week, I have heard stories of individual and collective generosity, bravery, perseverance and hard work. I have not heard of looting of property or hurting others. The people of our region should be thankful to each other and proud of our strong American culture. As my island friend reminded me, the worth of a society is valued more in the way its people assist each other in a time of need, than in the material goods it produces.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of us. Dennis DeFelice Cheney