Letters To The Editor

AGRICULTURE

All field burning should be stopped

How disappointing! Three years of work and hope by all the people who wanted so much to end all field burning. How sadly shortsighted and remiss of “Save Our Summers” to target only the grass growers and not other field burners, too.

It’s 103 degrees and the Spokane skies are again filled with ugly repressive smoke. Some can’t go outside, or even open a window. So many are sick and either whining, angry or enraged, but most of all, disappointed that all our efforts have gone unheeded.

Perhaps we should consider a consequence to those who continue to set those “accidental” fires in the area. Only the most naive and foolish of us, could possibly believe that once again this year the smoke is from fires set “accidentally.” Yet, seldom is anyone held accountable for setting them, so the fires and the lies blatantly continue. Whatever is financially advantageous to the offending farmers is the only criterion evaluated, while we tolerate this field burning hell and the lies surrounding it. To quote a recent visitor, “The Spokane area was once God’s country. It has become a dirty, depressing little town filled with all that smoke. May and June are still nice though, if it doesn’t rain.”

This wonderous God’s country of the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene area, sadly, is our paradise lost. Mary Dee Berg Spokane

GOVERNMENT/POLITICS

Clinton gets high marks? Says who?

Why is it that every day we either read or hear “President Clinton continues to receive high marks.” From whom? They run a so-called poll, call 1,410 poor souls (probably registered Democrats) and then tell us the feeling for the whole country. Balderdash!

MSNBC ran a poll on the Internet. As of 7 p.m. on Sunday, 53,321 folks had responded. The question was basically “Should everyone just smile and forgive poor old morally delinquent Bill?” Thirty-nine percent said aye. Or “should we throw the bum out?” Sixty-one percent voted on that side of the ledger.

Clinton has headed the most morally corrupt outfits from Arkansas to Washington, D.C., and we wonder why the young folks are getting in so much trouble. Look at what they get to see every day. Lie, cheat and you, too, can become president! Charles E. McCollim Spokane

SPOKANE MATTERS

Let’s ban the real culprits

I’m sure glad that the Rev. Ron Johnson and the Citizens for Common Sense are working to protect Spokane from immorality (“City weighs necessity of gay rights ordinance,” Aug. 2). I do, however, have a modest proposal for their consideration.

Let’s ask who is really responsible for Spokane’s immorality. Most of those who drive drunk, commit assaults, rob banks, steal, purchase pornography and, yes, even run red lights are heterosexual males. The solution is obvious. The Citizens for Common Sense need to work for a resolution banning heterosexual males from Spokane. Why we could even put signs at the city limits, “Spokane: America’s most moral city - no heterosexual males allowed.” This would alleviate 90 percent of the immorality in Spokane and create a better, safer place for everyone else. It’s time to solve the real problem. William R. Large Spokane

Train terminal needs better signs

Last Sunday morning at 12:30 a.m., we arrived in Spokane on the Amtrak train. After exiting the train, we inquired as to where the terminal was located. The conductor pointed to the east end of the train platform.

We walked to the east end of the platform and saw no sign of a train terminal. We did see that you could walk over in front of the locomotive that had brought us to Spokane, and possibly the terminal building was on the other side of our train, which hadn’t left yet as it was still loading new passengers.

My wife and I were just about to walk over these tracks and see if the train terminal was on the other side of our train. Just then a freight train traveling westbound came thundering passed us at a high rate of speed. If we had gone 10 feet farther, we would have been run over by this freight train, and there would have been body parts scattered down the tracks for about at least a mile.

Completely shaken by our near death, we started asking other people where the terminal was located and they showed us that the terminal building was on the left side of the platform, and not across the tracks where we thought it was located.

I think that the railroad ought to install a well-illuminated sign, showing train passengers where the Spokane train terminal is located, and not let this confusion cause someone’s death or injury. Thomas Akren Post Falls

Thanks for upholding zoning laws

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Spokane county commissioners for upholding our zoning laws in regards to the recent decision concerning Wal-Mart. It was truly a day of celebration for all Spokane County neighborhoods and homeowners. Pamela D. Wolfrum Spokane

DUI laws must be changed

Re: James A. Vreen retrial.

The media, public information officers and other “powers that be” need to use different terms when referring to any incident where property damage, personal injury, or fatalities occur when drugs or alcohol are involved. Specific to this case, as an unlicensed driver, Vreen never should have been able to register a vehicle, let alone get behind the steering wheel of one. Vreen was also double the limit for a minor under 21 with a BAC at .04.

Ann Thornburg wrote on July 28, regarding the two-year-old killed by driver Ryan Quale, that “vehicular homicide should be considered murder.” I agree with her. These “senseless deaths have to stop” and that “the laws need to be changed.” Anyone else in the greater Spokane area who is of like mind needs to attend the Community Traffic Safety Forum at the Prevention Center on Aug. 11 to address this public safety issue. These losses are indeed tragic and preventable - they are not accidents.

The city of Spokane is not responsible for the deaths of Alicia, Kate and John. The gravel didn’t do it, the guard rails didn’t do it, nor did the trees. James Vreen is the one responsible for their deaths. Unless citizens rally to change mind sets, the language used to describe these incidents, and the laws (establish a felony DUI) to address this needless carnage, we are all complicit by default and apathy. Marilyn Darilek Spokane

Give county opinion on Willow Run

The Five Mile Prairie, as you know it, may be forever lost.

A 238-unit manufactured (mobile) home park is planned to replace a large wheat field that stretches across half the prairie. Much of the public is not aware. A public hearing to debate the issues was never held. The impact will be enormous to this small prairie community in north Spokane, potentially raising our population by 50 percent in a very short time. The drain on emergency services, roads and schools in a geographically disabled area will be paid for by us all.

The Spokane County Comprehensive Plan calls for manufactured home developments to enhance the area’s residential character and aesthetics. Do you think it will? What is your opinion? Let the County Building and Planning administrators know before they decide on the Willow Run project by writing them a letter or calling 456-3675. Candace Dahlstrom Spokane

IN THE PAPER

‘Looking Back’ great feature

I am enjoying your new feature, “Looking Back.” What a great idea to encourage people to submit their old photos. Your library of pictures are wonderful. I’ve been clipping pictures and sending them to friends and relatives who enjoy remembering Spokane “back when.” Diane Sullivan Spokane

Fashion story disgusting

I was greatly disgusted by your entire group of articles on so-called fashion for teens that appeared in Sunday’s IN Life section. Not only were the clothes you listed ridiculous, but I call it conformity at its worst. It seemed as if you were telling people to follow the crowd and not to be an individual. Isn’t variety the spice of life?

I’m sorry to say that the only thing I received from Sunday’s paper was the message that if everyone else jumped off a cliff you should too, just to fit in. Bryan S. Johnson Chattaroy