Letters To The Editor

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Hanford officials earn reprimand

On behalf of the Washington State Public Interest Research Group, I wish to express my support and shared alarm for your newspaper’s opinion on the recent explosion issue on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation (Opinion, May 20).

The incident was far more serious and demanded faster public notification than the casual response given by Hanford officials.

The fact that Hanford officials took three hours to notify the sheriff’s office and six hours to notify the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the “minor chemical explosion” is unacceptable. Every incident in that facility is serious, as far as the public is concerned.

Think what would happen in three hours if a serious accident or situation were to occur. Depending on the wind and other climatic factors, thousands of people could be harmed or placed at risk for long-term illnesses before public safety agencies could respond with control and containment activities. The harm would already be done.

Hanford officials deserve a reprimand for their inappropriate response to this incident.

The potential for harm to public health and the environment is so great from that facility, due to the radioactivity, that an emergency warning system should be installed in surrounding communities, then monitored and tested on a regular basis. A system similar to the public alarm system in Honolulu would provide quick notification and save many lives in case of a serious event. Raquel D. Salois, campaign-media coordinator WashPIRG, Spokane

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

Better schedules needed, attainable

As a parent and teacher, I sympathize with views expressed in the editorial, “Short school days hurt child, parents.” Early release days require extra parent planning for the safety and care of their children. Regular schedules are less disruptive and easier to teach, too.

Several issues must be considered when developing alternative schedules: accreditation and legal requirements, holidays, vacations, parent-student-teacher conferences and reasonably spaced teacher inservice and work days. Inservice days should allow teachers to reflect, evaluate and adapt new ideas cooperatively throughout each semester.

Parents want school to begin and end at times convenient to their work and special family events.

I have long been a proponent of year-round schools to provide continuous learning and eliminate time now used for re-teaching each fall. Three-week breaks could allow teachers to attend courses, plan cooperatively and return refreshed. They would allow participation in seasonal activities or interim classes on special topics, travel or extended learning for students.

School days could be extended, so there would be uninterrupted academic time blocks, sports, arts, and study times, and more-efficient use of personnel and buildings.

Schools could serve as community centers where senior citizens and other could mentor as tutors, child care is available, and health or social services might be provided.

To develop these alternative schedules, parents, schools and community personnel must work together as extended services require increased time, resources and ingenuity. I encourage The Spokesman-Review to serve as a catalyst to bring citizens together to develop a new exciting schedule for schools. Everyone will benefit. Caroline M. Bitterwolf, teacher West Park Elementary School, Moscow, Idaho

Overhaul planning days planning

I thank staff writer Jamie Neely for the editorial regarding school professional planning days.

This has been bugging us for a long time but we too are hesitant to address the issue with our children’s teachers.

In addition to the hardship on the family to have the unnecessarily disrupted schedule, the fact that there are so darned many dollars going out for so darned few hours of teaching is bothersome.

We have been pretty satisfied with the individual teachers, but there does seem to be a tremendous amount of waste and higher than necessary cost involved, both to the school funding and to the individual family.

Given the huge amount of time off teachers have in relation to people in most other professions, it’s clear that planning days could be better planned. Jim L. Hundrup Spokane

Good insight, wrong conclusion

Lynn M. Stuter had at least part of her letter right. Children can go wrong even after the parents have done their best to instill a sense of right and wrong. But she erred in deciding to scapegoat the school system.

Scapegoating movies, television, books, music and whatever political views currently exist in the pubic school system as the prime reasons kids go bad misses the point. Believe it or not, children also exercise free will. Therefore, regardless of an excellent upbringing, all the amenities of the middle and upper classes, children can still become criminals. Conversely, despite all the obstacles in their path, poor public schools, objectionable rap music, books, television, movies and coming from impoverished single-parent households - remarkably, some kids turn out all right.

It has to do with choices, only some of which are influenced by outside forces. That is why scapegoating the public schools, laws, etc., is pointless.

How about recognizing the child for himself? If he goes bad, punish him accordingly. Don’t punish everyone else. Joan E. Harman Coeur d’Alene

‘Earning way’ concept erroneous

Suzanne Falconer wrote a thoughtful letter (May 27) regarding inclusion of children with disabilities in our schools. She pointed out well-documented benefits to all students in a school that includes children with disabilities.

However, Falconer then cited a very narrow study on children with autism to generalize about all children who fall into the category of “special” education.

The conclusion that children should earn their way into a regular classroom is completely wrong-headed. All placements, at all levels, must begin with a commitment to the ideal of each student centered in the regular classroom.

Only then, as Falconer states, should “their disabilities and, more importantly, their progress dictate their method of education,” encompassing the full range of special supports our schools make available. Evelyn M. Wright Spokane

School board attitude unacceptable

I attended a school board meeting with a group of parents last night. I found out why I haven’t been there before and will probably not go again.

We and other parents there waited politely for 2-1/2 hours while business was attended to. Then we delivered four opinions concerning the principal shuffle the District 81 administration delivered to the local elementary schools recently. We knew this was all for naught, but felt it important to express our thoughts, with just the slightest hope we might be listened to.

We gave our talks professionally and asked questions that were passed over. We probed to no avail on certain issues but always maintained a businesslike demeanor.

Not so for two of the board members. Rocco Treppiedi has the gall to intimate that we might not accept our new principal in a nice manner. The president of the school board absolutely insulted us with her condescending remarks about the “anger” on our faces, and that she knew better than any of us about all this business of principal changes.

I knew we would be brushed over, but to have such insulting attitudes come from the school board, after we had so carefully presented ourselves in a correct manner. was when I did get angry.

The one thing I learned at this meeting is how I am going to vote at the next school board election. The sad thing I learned is that there is no partnership in District 81. Sandra “Sammy” Girton Spokane

‘Savages’ name use hypocritical

Before members of the Colville Tribe raise their voices against schools using mascot names such as Chiefs, Warriors and Indians, perhaps they should start in their own back yard and change the name of the Nespelem Elementary School mascot: the Nespelem Savages.

In American history, it was the white man who was savage to the Indians.

To expect other schools to change mascots and yet continue to allow use of the Savages mascot for a school located in the heart of the reservation seems pretty hypocritical to me. Christine M. Kitt Otis Orchards

CAUTIONARY TALE

Story registered with this mom

I was moved to tears by the story of the tragic death of Elana Marshall’s daughter, Julie.

I don’t know how one repairs the damage of the loss of a child and moves on. I hope for Elana’s sake that she finds peace and healing. I admire her willingness to speak to others about the foolishness of driving while intoxicated.

Today, I gave my 11-year-old daughter an extra hug, an extra “I love you” and overlooked a few silly things. Elana’s story reminded me that the only difference between Elana and me is the few seconds it takes to lose a life. Let me remember to cherish my daughter and the time I have with her.

My heart is with you, Elana. Peggy A. Bowe Pullman

We know what to do; Let’s do it

Your Sunday feature, “A mother’s pain,” was exceptional. My compliments.

Now, how do we reduce the number of lost and shattered lives that result from people who drive while voluntarily impaired? Whether from alcohol or other drugs, the effect is the same - people deliberately putting others in danger. There is no excuse. The inevitable tragedies are not accidents. Nobody accidentally drives drunk. Drinking is a deliberate, voluntary act. So is getting behind the wheel of a car.

The statistics are simple. The probability of causing the injury or death of others is roughly equivalent to standing blindfolded, with a handgun, in the middle of Riverfront Park and firing six rounds at random.

What can we do? Can we make impoundment of the perpetrator’s vehicle an automatic, non-negotiable result of failing a roadside sobriety test, from the moment of failure until the case is resolved? Can we prosecute driving while voluntarily impaired as attempted murder? Can we insist that people who, by their deliberate, voluntary actions, cause the death of others always be prosecuted for first-degree murder? Perhaps a county/city ordinance setting the maximum blood-alcohol level at the only safe level: zero.

All these things have been done elsewhere. They’ve been shown to reduce the rates of injury and death, even in places where people drink more than we do. Nobody stops drinking, bars stay in business, but people exercise a little maturity and lives are saved.

We could do it here. But we have to start now. Michael A. Carter Spokane