Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

Garage plan generous, within the law

The May 29 article about the Spokane Club’s proposed parking structure is brashly misleading.

The Friends of the Falls accuse the Spokane Club of not “sticking to the law” with the proposed design. They’ve convinced the state Department of Ecology to appeal the project with false, misleading statements.

I’m a member of the Design Build Team that proposes to construct the commercial garage. Contrary to what the opposition has stated, the proposed design meets or exceeds all city and state requirements. Additionally, the team has met with local DOE officials on the proposed site. The senior DOE official stated that the project “is acceptable to build within the current regulations.”

The proposed structure also creates a public viewing platform where none exists, which will open up the view from the river bank to all citizens - not just Spokane Club members.

The Spokane Club has violated no laws to build a structure zoned for such use on its own property. If the Friends of the Falls are so adamant about the river bank, a better solution would’ve been to buy the property.

The Spokane Club garage plan is similar to the Lincoln Street bridge issue, the Ronalds’ property and the upcoming Metropolitan Mortgage development. Are the friends going to try to save the north bank from development?

If all river bank projects are subject to continued hassle and litigation, they should not have to be resolved by Seattle attorneys and Olympia bureaucrats. If the Shorelines Management Act has so many interpretations, it should be rewritten by the citizens of Spokane. Chris Kopczynski, president KOP Construction Co. Inc., Spokane

Most of us want a new Wal-Mart

The story of David vs. Goliath has been told in many forms over the years, and the latest reincarnation of the fable is being told by local media regarding a possible new Wal-Mart on the North Side.

Is the entire North Side against the new Wal-Mart? I think not. In fact, the vast majority of people I speak to support a North Side store. Unfortunately, the only story that gets told is one of the neighbors opposing a big retail development. And while some people do oppose the store, it is a group that does not represent my feelings, nor the feelings of many others.

New development is a reality, especially on the North Side where the area continues to grow. The people who oppose the proposed Wal-Mart need to realize that if Wal-Mart doesn’t build near them, some other business will. Irene Evans Spokane

Cave in and bad precedent is set

Re: Letters of May 16, supporting Wal-Mart.

The questions are not does the North Side need a Wal-Mart, do we want jobs created, will the tax base be improved. These possible benefits could be realized no matter where Wal-Mart builds.

The real question is, with all the commercially zoned property available, why do they insist on attempting to build in a heavily populated, residential-zoned area? Wal-Mart has known their potential neighbors are angered by the proposed shopping complex they wish to impose in the middle of a quiet suburb. They lost the first round on the rezoning request and appealed. How much more county money will taxpayers have to spend on Wal-Mart’s appeal? Is it right for a Fortune 500 company to cause us to spend our hard-earned tax dollars to force Spokane to change a recently established zoning plan?

If Wal-Mart succeeds, won’t this send a message to other developers that Spokane County zoning laws have no teeth and that all one needs is money to influence public opinion and wear down the opposition?

One wonders why Wal-Mart wants to develop residential-zoned property. Immediately across from it and along the Nevada corridor there are hundreds of acres of property already zoned commercial. Where is their public relations man? If Wal-Mart wants us to believe their advertisement about being a good neighbor, maybe it’s time for the company to start acting like one. Cheryl R. Nuesmeyer Spokane

Statement revealing of racism

I found editor Chris Peck’s statement, “Like all communities, we have a small minority who feed on hate and try to divide people on the basis of skin color or ethnicity” (May 31) to be ironic. It appears that some of the staff of the city of Spokane are a part of this group, based upon their statements that the Spokane Falls Northwest Indian Encampment and Powwow is not a “community event.” This is a perfect example of how underlying racism continues to permeate our community.

Until we begin to embrace our brothers and sisters of different colors and backgrounds, develop an understanding of how their world view may include priorities that vary from ours, we remain a silent majority toward racism. Louise Chadez Spokane

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

Thanks, to a Bloomsday friend in deed

My wife and I ran the recent Bloomsday race for the 12th time in the past 13 years. I had just turned 60 and had trained to meet or beat my previous times.

At the three-mile mark, I was in trouble, probably because of the warm day and having trained in early morning 50-degree temperatures in Kirkland.

After walking and running up Doomsday Hill, a young man named Jack pulled up beside me and asked if I was OK. He knew that I was struggling because of my whacky stride caused by equilibrium problems, brought on by the heat. Jack stayed with me, walking when I walked and running when I ran, until almost the finish line. He gave me breathing instructions and encouragement, and at the same time let me know we were not going to set a personal best time that day.

I don’t expect to ever meet Jack again but I will not forget his genuine concern and support. In these days of overpaid sports heroes, its nice to have a friend like Jack, even for a short time.

Spokane should be proud of the way the Bloomsday Race is organized and run each year. I have been running in races in the Seattle area for many years and nobody does it better than Spokane. Spokane should also be proud of citizens like Jack, who was truly a sports hero during the 1998 Bloomsday Race. Don F. McConaghy Kirkland, Wash.

Sinatra’s music evoked something good

Congratulations to staff writer Jim Kershner for the fresh and fascinating observation on Frank Sinatra in “Talkin ‘bout the Sinatra generation.”

Kershner tells his readers that through Frank Sinatra’s music, people of the boomer generation can learn about their parents. “They believed in the power of love, and they were able to separate it gracefully from the power of lust.”

For pure romance, Sinatra’s music “had a way of making love sound like something tender, something elegant, the best expression of our humanity.” It was a “generation that believed deeply that life was about love, then marriage, then a happy home in the suburbs.”

Being part of Kershner’s parents’ generation and a GI in 1942, I watched with amazement as the bobbysoxers screamed, swooned and fainted at the Paramount Theater in New York, only to learn after Sinatra’s death that the screams and faintings were “planted.” Certainly, his personal life was less than inspirational. But somehow, his music has survived.

While Kershner shows a beautiful respect for his parents using Sinatra’s music as an insight to a dying generation, I believe Sinatra’s music has survived because there are still some in each generation who see love as the beautiful, romantic, “best expression of our humanity.” May his music continue to kindle and culture a belief that “life is about love” in its purest sense. Eugene B. Bronson Spokane

About those priorities ..

What are we saying as a society when we’re willing spend millions of dollars to investigate and possibly prosecute two consenting adults for having sex and then, out of the corner of our mouths, give lip service that we cannot afford to hire the needed personnel to investigate and prosecute pedophiles and batterers - to say nothing of being pro-active and allot money to programs that prevent such crimes? Mollie J. Dalpae Spokane

Give us stories of youthful goodness, too

I commend you on running the picture and story, “GU group heading to Croatia” (May 27). In light of the tragedy of the recent school killings and world happenings, and yes, Washington State University’s problems, it makes one think there is nothing but negativity anymore.

I was very happy to see a positive story in the Wednesday morning paper. There is still love in this world and young people who are willing to trade their summer in doing good in a foreign land. It is far easier to overlook these caring kids and see only the ones who care for nothing but their own misguided “fun.” We need these positive stories on the front page as well as the stories about killings, stabbing and other things that make us just shake our heads at the inhumanity and lack of love and caring about us. Ruth L. Sontag Spokane

America - what a waste

I am a medaled, combat-hardened veteran of World War II. I was proud to wear the American soldier’s uniform. I felt willing to lay down my life for my country. Like all young, I was an idealist. However, considering the fact that America has debased itself and has reached its nadir in these times of crisis, I have concluded that the 44 months I spent in the Army and the 11 months I spent in combat were all in vain.

The 44 months took a big chunk out of my 20s. I now regard the 11 months in combat as a useless terror. Had I been able to foresee, I would have laid down my rifle and walked away to the nearest Belgian town and defected.

I was naive enough to think that all the sacrifices made by myself and all American combat soldiers, including those who made the supreme sacrifice, would be compensated for by a peace-loving, truly Christian nation. I felt that the bitter lessons and suffering that are common in all wars would result in America becoming a true bastion of peace and a beacon for all universal hope.

Instead, this nation has become the most criminal-infested, most litigious nation in the world; a nation where money mania has become a national religion. Now we have an epidemic of children killing children in school.

The trouble with our society is that Americans in general are car crazy and gun happy. One pollutes, the other kills. God help us.

J.J. Orlando Spokane

Often, gays are being used There are at least three reasons why people like attacking homosexuality.

First, homosexuals are a small minority and they have no means to strike back.

Secondly, there is a tiny group of activists who stir public opinion and turn it decisively against homosexuals. They stage gay pride parades, push stupid books on children (“Daddy’s Roommate”), raise absurd requests (same-sex marriages), etc.

Third, there are politicians like Bill Clinton, for whom homosexuality equals job qualification, and they brag about how many homosexuals they gave jobs to.

Aside from that there is still a chilling factor in all those attacks, be it from Bible-pointing pastors or “family values” folks. They attack sexual preferences of other people, something that is totally none of their business. What will be their next target? Will they try to “turn around” people who have sex outside of marriage? Subscribers of Playboy? Nudists? People drinking wine? Vegetarians?

If you are upset by something that does not hurt anybody and is none of your business, the Bible is not the book to read. Your book is “1984” by George Orwell. And as for your “love of the sinner,” what if you just stopped talking about it and let the “sinners” see that love through your deeds? Peter C. Dolina Veradale

Remarkable, what people find ungodly

Re: Tolerance of gays invite wrath of God (May 22).

This letter writer claims the fire and brimstone that fought off destruction will rain on us for allowing Washington State University to celebrate Gay Rights Month.

First, the Bible condemns the idolatrous practice of men having sex with pagan male temple prostitutes. People who acknowledge and celebrate their homosexual nature are not necessarily idolatrous. The Bible condemns sinful acts, but a celebration affirming the dignity of traditionally marginalized people is not one of those acts. The Bible also condemns murder, but we tolerate people with the passion for collecting and practicing with murder weapons. Belonging to a gun club is not a murderous act.

Secondly, we tolerated slavery, the decimation of the Native American population, segregation, the Vietnam War and corruption in government and business. Don’t we deserve God’s wrath for all that?

Fortunately, we can trust our gracious God to have mercy on us, even for tolerating the intolerant. Edward B. Pace Spokane

OTHER TOPICS

Expose the no-win aspects of gambling

Recently, we have repeatedly seen articles in this newspaper on various forms of gambling offered in our community. Most often, we see written in glowing terms the money someone will make or money that will come into our community coffers. There’s never a mention of the drain these get-rich schemes have on the community.

It would be a great study if someone from the newspaper would begin to expose the cost to the community for this kind of experience. For instance, have you asked the many government and nonprofit agencies how many more people they’ve had to help, what gambling is doing to the meager paycheck some folks have, the number of children going hungry because parents can’t control their habits, the unpaid rent and people evicted because of “playing the odds”? Gambling fever is rampant and it has destroyed even very nice people. What price are we paying for the gambling?

I don’t believe the few thousands of dollars our city or state receives assists in bandaging up or helping folks who can’t help themselves. Who’s paying the price?

Please do some editorial work on this negative side of gambling, before you publicize more on the front pages about how wonderful it could be to get the big prize. Records, if they can be found, may well show that this is one of the biggest drains upon our community resources. Paul J. Baughman Spokane

Israel can buy peace with land

It is paradoxical that both Israeli and Palestinian peoples want peace but have only discord. Why? Because the Israelis fear what the Palestinians might try to do to them and the Palestinians hate what the Israelis have done and are doing to them.

Fifty years ago, Jews came together and got what they wanted: a homeland of their own, a country they named Israel, in which they hoped to live in peace, free from hostility and persecution.

Sadly, in the process of acquiring their homeland, the Israelis took away the Palestinians’ homeland, land on which their ancestors had lived for centuries. As a result, the Israelis have lived in fear ever since.

What can Israel do now? The answer is obvious. Allow the Palestinians, whose land the Israelis usurped, to have back at least a portion of it. Namely, Gaza and the West Bank, to make into a state of their own and thus end the hatred and violence their own action precipitated.

Peace and security come only when, if you have it in your power to do so, you grant to others what you have yourself, a place to call home. Israel has the power to do that. Does it have the will, the courage, the magnanimity to do so? Donald Bishop Pullman

Rotary-student conflict a shame

The article about the Belgian exchange student and the Rotary District 5080 (May 30) brought up a lot of questions for me.

Why does Rotary bring exchange students to America?

When the teenager signs the contract in September, are they told they will miss school events while they parade and perform for Rotary? Do they even know what graduation or prom events are or that they might later consider those events important? Do they have a choice about signing the contract?

In the story, Rotary District Governor Ron Ross stated, “Students often complain about missing events such as graduation ceremonies and proms.” If that is so, why hasn’t Rotary addressed the problem? Does the district office take into consideration school schedules when scheduling the international friendship tour? Or, doesn’t the district office have any control over scheduling the tour?

The article stated Rotary’s international committee chairman “tried to contact her at the home of her current hosts … no one answered the telephone.” How many times did he try to telephone? Do they have a message service? Did he leave a message? Is it possible they don’t have a message service and they weren’t home when he tried to call? Did he try to mail a letter?

I feel sad for Celine, that she had to end what should have a been an experience of a lifetime on a sour note. Barbara G. Hill Spokane