Letters To The Editor
SPOKANE MATTERS
Don’t develop away all our open spaces
I live on 43 acres and around our property, the 200- and 300-acre farms have been divided into smaller, 10-acre lots for development. Little by little, the open space, clean air and quiet rural lifestyle are disappearing, not just for us, but for all Spokane city and county citizens.
Protection of some of the open spaces and habitats will take all of our commitment. For our children and for our future we should continue to support local conservation futures programs. This will help us to hold on to some of Spokane’s natural areas and ensure they will survive for all of us to enjoy.
Alex P. Biggs Spokane
Social capital no problem here
Your article in IN Life on “Spokane’s lack of social capital” is an unfair rap.
I have lived in Spokane County since 1957. For the past eight years I have participated in Valley Fest as a board member and volunteer. This grass-roots citizens group bands together under the guidance of its executive director, Peggy Doering, to put on a huge block party free of charge for families that attend. The theme has always been for children. From the theatrical events, the Spokane Symphony and noncompetitive children’s fun run to many other activities, this is for the children.
Any profit from booths has gone to help underprivileged children. It has provided grants for clothes, study equipment, travel for a scholarship evaluation at Washington State University, dance classes and much more.
This event is the result of outstanding citizens, supported with grants from area businesses and Spokane County government allowing the event to happen. Valley Fest caters to over 20,000 in Terrace View Park.
The many hours committee and board members invest throughout the year make this one to remember. While we could use more help, businesses sponsoring events must be commended. Without them, the volunteers couldn’t do what they do.
The volunteerism of employees of large and small firms that contribute financially is a most important factor.
Peggy Doering’s tireless efforts have kept this outstanding children’s party going. R. Terry Lynch, owner Park Lane Motel, Suites & R.V. Park, Spokane
Barbieri an uncommon ‘common man’
Re: The death of Lou Barbieri. I have had the privilege of working for Goodale & Barbieri for six years. For four of those years, Lou himself lived in our building at Rockwood Lane. Lou and his lovely wife Kay are the most genuine, down to earth people we have ever known.
His office downtown was unassuming. He once said that he never forgot his roots and he never lost the touch and feeling of the common man.
In an era when families are fractured and wealth or power take precedence over family values, he and Kay kept their family close and strong.
The beautiful handprint of Lou Barbieri will forever be reflected on those of us who live here. Spokane is a much more lovely and forward-looking city because of his efforts and vision.
God rest his soul. We loved him. Marlene and Bill Walters Spokane
THE ENVIRONMENT
Murray bill best for Hanford Reach
If you have any doubts why the Hanford Reach, last of the undammed Columbia River, must be designated as America’s next recreational river within the wild and scenic rivers system, just compare Sen. Patty Murray’s bill to Rep. Richard “Doc” Hastings’ bill.
Murray’s bill provides for a management plan developed in consultation with local authorities, but within the regulatory framework of the Wild and Scenic River Act. This provides clear guidelines for permanently protecting the Hanford Reach while ensuring public participation in the management process. As a component of the Wild and scenic rivers system, the Reach’s management team would be staffed with natural resource management experts and funded through the Department of Interior, year after year.
Hastings’ bill relies on local zoning ordinances not designed for protecting national resources. It provides no expert resource staff and is ominously silent on funding sources for managing the Reach.
As we all know, local ordinances can be changed quietly and quickly, out of the public’s view and at the whim of whatever collection of county commissioners happens to be in power at the time.
Don’t let the Hanford Reach wither and die under such a half-baked plan. Save the Hanford Reach as wild and scenic. Bob W. Wilson Richland
Don’t entrust Reach to these people
Rep. Richard “Doc” Hastings’ bill would put the last free-flowing stretch of the Columbia River under control of state, federal and county governments, “with counties having the most power,” according to a story in the July 6 Spokesman-Review.
Counties want agricultural and business development there to earn revenues to pay for environmental protection.
The July 6 front page toxic waste story suggests the kind of environmental protection counties are ready to offer the Hanford Reach.
Quincy Mayor Patty Martin has uncovered the fact that toxic wastes are used in fertilizers. The Seattle Times says, “No one knows how much fertilizer from toxic waste is plowed into the the nation’s farm lands or how much toxic waste goes into fertilizer.”
The chairman of the University of California’s Davis campus Sustainable Agriculture Department says, “It’s not just the farmer that ought to be concerned, it’s the consumer, because we all consume these products.”
How do local agriculturalists express their concerns? One threatens to sue Martin, one suggests that there really isn’t a problem because the person raising the issue is a woman. Another, the president of the Potato Growers of Washington, says, “We don’t see a problem.” Her own city council tries to get her to shut up or quit.
If the locals don’t see a problem with plowing toxic wastes into the nation’s farm land, they’re not people I want to see making decisions about what happens in or around any river, let alone a stretch of river that stands as a national treasure. Ed A. Reynolds Spokane
Why heed radical environmentalist?
A few years ago, I attended a meeting of business leaders at the Wenatchee Center for which the main speaker was an environmentalist from Oregon. In attendance were many public utility district officials, as well as over 100 leaders in that city.
All of us were shocked when the speaker told us that all the dams from Grand Coulee to the mouth of the Columbia River will have to be removed so that fish will have a clear passage to spawn in their natural habitat.
When asked about our power supply and about Boeing, Alcoa and many other users’ needs, he stated that they would all have to go.
I then read an article in the July 5 Spokesman-Review - some old lies about global warming, scare tactics to brainwash to public into believing their propaganda, which is as far out as taking out all our Columbia River dams.
Why don’t you give equal space to someone knowledgeable to what our needs really are as you do to some radical person as Paul H. Nitze, former diplomat and now on the board of the Environmental Defense Fund?
There are a total of 12,000 environmental groups in the United States, taking millions from taxpayers through grants, spreading false information, with their goal to reduce our global population by 50 percent. Thomas J. Reid Spokane
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Cleaner air policy needed now
Re: your coverage of the reaction of conservatives, especially the recent commentary by Rep. Thomas Coburn, to the new clean air standards endorsed by President Clinton.
It’s obvious that as the nation’s biggest polluters have declared war on federal clean air protections, industries have succeeded in brainwashing some people that tougher new clean air standards are not necessary.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that over 14,000 premature deaths occur every single year due to breathing particles of soot. We know also that asthma deaths have actually doubled since 1979, and asthma is also the leading cause of childhood hospital admissions.
Three cheers to Clinton for rejecting the bogus arguments of the polluters and for supporting the proposed strengthened health standards. Now Congress, in particular Rep. George Nethercutt, should do the same. Supporting these standards can and will save lives, improve quality of life and protect our children. Meredith L. Dodson, Spokane director Washington Public Interest Research Group
EPA should regulate all fertilizer
Re: “Toxin relabeled fertilizer” (News, July 6) tells about hazardous wastes and carcinogens being spread around the nation’s farm lands.
The Environmental Protection Agency is negligent in performance of its duty to protect the food chain for not demanding national regulation of all fertilizers in this country. The public must be informed and protected from hazardous waste poisoning of the food chain. Angela H. Eudaley Spokane