Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

Help Children’s Museum find a home

As parents know, no birth is easy. During our search for a permanent location for the Children’s Museum of Spokane, our grass-roots board of directors felt very much like new parents looking for a first home.

The site at 1017 W. First offered rent we could afford, room to grow and a historic location benefiting from a community revitalization effort. We interviewed members of the neighborhood association and the police department extensively before deciding to sign our lease.

However, in the weeks since signing the lease, we received some new information. The first was the discovery that the site’s current tenant, the Mid-City Center, has a valid lease. This important fact was not made known to us as we negotiated our lease.

Secondly, although the West First neighborhood continues to undergo positive change, perceived safety issues surrounding the site location are a concern for us.

As members of the community and as parents, we are deeply committed to the Children’s Museum’s mission of providing a safe, nurturing environment for all our children. Therefore, after careful examination of the issues, the board of directors has decided to seek a new location.

The birth of the Children’s Museum is a great challenge, but the benefits it will bring to our children and the region are worth it.

At this time, we’d like to ask for your help and input in finding a new home for our museum. Your ideas and continued financial support are vital to our success. Martha Gilligan-Gaines, president board of directors, The Children’s Museum of Spokane

Money imbalance is bad management

Lori R. Rukes Aug. 26 letter (“STA should charge for its service”) deserves a few comments.

Spokane Transit Authority can hardly be called a company. “Subsidized extended arm of our government” better describes it. Eighty percent of STA’s budget comes from the taxpayer through our government. If a company were to run itself 80 percent in the red every year, as STA does, but yet had a large funds surplus available, the situation would be considered mismanagement in the first degree, if not illegal.

So, how can I be looking for a free ride when I already help pay eighty percent of the budget?

If Rukes truly spends her money wisely, wouldn’t it be wise to look into how STA can be so heavily subsidized, yet have so much of our money sitting in a bank account?

This is especially the case when so many of our other government agencies such as police, fire and road maintenance are suffering from a lack of funds? Maybe an overview of the whole management system and policies would be in order to free up our money for much-needed services.

The bottom line is that STA is collecting more of our money then it needs while we quibble about bus fares. It’s absurd to think that when one government agency has a substantial surplus, its excess money should not be transferred to another agency that is in need. Michael Harmon Spokane

Make STA leaner, more resilient

I agree with the recent letter suggesting that Spokane Transit Authority eliminate fares on most buses.

The current 75 cent fare pays only a small percentage of costs anyway. If you divide the annual passenger count into STA’s budget, each ride costs over $6. Part of the reason for this is STA’s bloated management structure.

I suggest a trade-off: Free fares inside the city in return for immunity from most passenger liability. Eliminating the costs of settling the many frivolous or deceptive injury claims would go a long way toward offsetting the loss of fare income.

STA needs to cut its top-heavy, unlimited expense account culture and become a leaner, more responsive service. That responsiveness should include planning for our long overdue Valley light rail route. John Davidson Chattaroy

Keep Rockwood Manor on route

I have been going over the latest changes that the Spokane Transit Authority wants to make. One of the proposed changes is to stop going up to Rockwood Manor.

Instead, they want the employees and some of the residents who depend on the bus to go up to the manor to either get off the bus on Southeast Boulevard or on 29th Avenue. Either way, we would have to walk up or down a hill just to get to the manor and then to get back to the bus.

There is a gate at the bottom of one of the hills (which leads to a trail), but not very many of the people have a key to the gate. During the winter, it will make it more difficult to walk to the manor and the buses.

For this reason, this part of the proposed changes will not work. I am outraged that they are even considering discontinuing the trips to the manor. Michelle A. Roberts Spokane

IN THE PAPER

Graves column brightens my life

Thank you, thank you for Paul Graves’ column (IN Life). This is the breath of fresh air and the burst of enlightenment that I so look forward to on Saturdays.

What a pleasure it is to read this loving, compassionate man’s views. He truly embraces Jesus’ teachings with his all-inclusive tolerance of the diverse human race.

I have always been taught to seek out the good in all things. These teachings have allowed me to find God at the core of all that I encounter, and this is truly a gift. This gift is available to all, as Jesus taught, and Graves continually gives such concrete, day-to-day examples of how this is possible in a seemingly impossible, intolerant world.

When all is said and done, I am sure we in the human race would find each other’s sameness to be much more powerful than our differences. If we will celebrate the sameness of our humanity and tolerate the differences until they seem meaningless, we will all truly find a peaceful place in our hearts. That, to me, is heaven.

Thank you again, Paul Graves. I am sure God and Jesus are alive and well in your life and in your heart. Laura A. Richards Spokane

Reading article insulting to teachers

Re: Rebecca Young’s article “Season to read” (IN Life, Aug. 25).

Every season is a time to read. Regarding her comment, “As summer enters the homestead, try these titles to keep your kids mind off school,” most kids minds are on school because the are ready after two and one-half months vacation to get back with their friends and teachers. They love it. What’s with getting their minds off school? I think she is insulting the teachers in our community. Shirley E. Wilson Spokane

OTHER TOPICS

Grandfather should quit smoking

I can’t feel sorry for Walter E. Lane (“Won’t be going to the fair anymore,” Letters, Aug. 22). He has made a choice that says his smoking is more important to him than taking his grandchildren to the fair.

I feel sorry for the children because he has made a statement that says he doesn’t love them enough to sacrifice a vice for them. Not to mention that Grandpa would most likely be around for a lot longer if he gave it up altogether, also making it safer for them during their growing-up years.

There is nothing worse to nonsmokers’ health than to be forced to walk by people who insist upon polluting the air outside of stores, public buildings, restaurants, etc.

If you love your grandchildren (or children) you will seriously rethink your right to smoke against their health and well-being and quit smoking. Susan L. Ashley Four Lakes

What’s so bad about doing without?

I had to respond to Walter E. Lane’s letter of Aug. 22, “Won’t be going to the fair anymore.” If he’s such a considerate and “gentleman” smoker, why can he not refrain from smoking for a few hours so he can take his grandchildren to the fair, rather than deprive them of the joy of a great experience with their grandfather? Frances A. Waddell Otis Orchards

Thanks again, from Subud

On behalf of the World Subud Association and the 3,000 Subud members who attended the Tenth Subud World Congress, I express sincere thanks to the city of Spokane for your hospitality. We found people here friendly and helpful to our national and international attendees, and felt very welcome in this beautiful city.

We offer our grateful appreciation to everyone who worked together with us to make this Congress so successful. Rifra Bullen congress site manager, Spokane