Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

Hey - over here, guys

I am a little confused about some of the conflicting issues experienced by downtown Spokane.

It appears, from many of your stories, that the Spokane Club desperately needs parking. The club’s so desperate, it wants to raze the Fox Theater. Meanwhile, one block away, the River Park Square parking garage desperately needs cars. The garage is so desperate, it needs a helping hand from the community.

Am I the only one who sees a disconnect here? Jeffrey Hale Spokane

Spokane Club, adopt the PDA

Why doesn’t the Spokane Club take over the role of the Spokane Parking Development Authority, leaving the Fox Theater intact, having the city retain its parking meter income, keeping the Spokane River gorge view available for everyone and solving parking problems for the two-blocks-away club members? Surely, the Spokane Club members also shop at River Park Square? Pam Small Spokane

A consultant for every finding

Re: River Park Square finance reports.

Reading the financial reports - one last year, before approval of the loan, and now, I am reminded of an old joke: A committee asked an engineer, “What is two times two?” The engineer got his slide rule, moved the scales and said, “It is 3.99.”

They asked a statistician the same question. The statistician said, “The answer is between 3.9 and 4.1.”

Then they asked a financial consultant. The consultant called them into the office, closed the door and asked, “What do you want it to be?” Mallur R. Nandagopal Spokane

Symphony theater plan best for city

Re: the front page article of April 21 concerning the sale of the Fox theater in downtown Spokane.

I applaud the forward thinking of the Spokane Symphony in proposing the acquisition and refurbishing of the theater for use as a performing arts theater! What a benefit this would be for the community and the continued effort to develop the west side of downtown Spokane. In addition, it safeguards the architectural heritage of Spokane. As a community, Spokane is fortunate to have a variety of historic architectural styles. With the renovation of the Fox Theater, a building from the art deco period would be saved. It would join the City Hall building as an example of this era for future generations.

On the other hand, the Spokane Club wants to demolish the theater and build a parking lot for its status-conscious patrons. What a sad thought! There is a parking garage option for them within walking distance of their facility and using it would solve another community problem. It might be wise for this organization to think about expansion to possible sites in the Spokane Valley, South Hill or Bellevue, instead! Daniel L. Bielenberg Spokane

Oh, oh, oh, listen to the music

They paved paradise, put up a parking lot.

The Looking Back photo (April 26) of the 1937 Fox Theater usherettes is wonderful. It transports the reader back to a time of grace (amid the foul Nazi ascent), in a classic venue that we would be foolish to destroy.

In light of the current public resistance to that “other” parking garage, I wonder at the Spokane Club agenda, which would level this irreplaceable landmark.

Joni Mitchell hit the nail when she wrote, Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. Rose Bachman Spokane

Nature celebration made special

A great big thank you to everyone who joined the rejoicing in Spokane’s first ever celebration of nature: The Procession of the Species, on Earth Day, April 22, at Riverfront Park.

Without the raccoon, ravens, robins, giraffes, jellyfish, monkey, quail, drummers, dolphins and dragonfly; without the many people demonstrating through their artistic creations their love and concern for the species with which we co-inhabit our small planet, there would have been no celebration.

A thousand thanks to the Species Team members, whose time, talents and energy, and constantly going the extra mile made it all possible.

It was a special time of joy and celebration, this 30th anniversary of Earth Day. The Compost Fair, mayor’s proclamation, waste reduction and recycling awards, tree planting, species procession and the many exciting and informative booths in the Clock Tower Meadow at Riverfront Park demonstrated that many Spokane folks dearly love our beautiful planet Earth, even though our largest newspaper didn’t deem it important enough to cover.

Thanks to all who joined this local expression of the worldwide celebration the 30th Anniversary of Earth Day, uniting with other caring persons in cities and nations throughout our planet! Bernadine Van Thiel Spokane

REMEMBRANCE

Please, include murder victims’ names

Re: the April 22 article about murderers on death row.

I wish that when you mention their names, you would also mention the victims’ names. Dwayne Woods is on death row for murdering my daughter, Jade Moore, and her friend, Telisha Shaver. Every time there is a murder, or any kind of talk about one, anywhere, it’s like living through it all over again - not that I’ve ever forgotten anything. All I ask is to have my daughter’s name in print. I don’t want anyone to forget her. Terri Moore Spokane

HEALTH CARE

I’ve seen bad impact of changes

Re: the letter from the Spokane County Community Services employees (“Writer’s claims `incorrect”’). If you think what is happening at the Spokane Mental Health arena is “distractions,” you have another think coming.

I volunteer for First Call for Help two or three times a week. During the last six months I have witnessed tremendous changes in the types and sheer numbers of calls. I would estimate the same number of calls for resource referral requests, but the amount of calls from disgruntled, perplexed callers has increased greatly. We are unable to refer these people or their concerned family members and friends to a mental health source which can provide treatment within a reasonable time. We are also aware that the type of services offered can’t be the same as they were before, and that the increased caseload and turnover rate for counselors clearly affects the care able to be offered.

Ask the dedicated, overworked mental health professionals I work next to if the amount of clients are the same ratio to staff. As I witness their dedication and the types of situations they deal with, “distractions” is not the word I’d choose.

Don’t be poor and mentally ill in Spokane right now. There are a little too many “distractions.” K.L. Harty Spokane

Speak up to keep public health nurses

Citizens, what are you are doing to fight the war against poverty in our community? There’s something you can do.

As Board of Health chairman, Mayor John Talbott has the power to influence the board’s decision to keep or reduce the public health nurse’s program, which is working with our poverty-stricken families. If we do nothing about this weakening of essential family services in our community, we’ll pay the price.

If we lose our PHNs we’ll begin to feel the effects immediately. Our at-risk and in-crisis families will have one less service to access when they’re in need. But the biggest price for our community will be felt in 10 years. The price will be lives of the sacrificed children who didn’t receive professional, family based PHN services. The sacrificed infants of today will then be perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

PHNs are in the homes assisting families remove themselves from the cycle of poverty. If we do not fight to keep all of the front-line services for our children and families intact we won’t be able to prevent babies from having babies, from using drugs to escape reality of poverty, from committing violent offenses toward all of us, and draining our pocketbooks to pay for ramifications of the poverty stricken.

The PHNs are some of the best soldiers our community has in the war on poverty.

Act now. You must urge the generals, the Board of Health members, to direct Dr. Kim Thorburn to keep the front-line soldiers, the PHNs, where they are needed. Kathy Bernier, RNC Spokane

HIGHER EDUCATION

Put blame where it’s deserved

Did I hear Doug Clark picking on Pullman last week? (April 20 column).

Oh, Clark, if you want to pick on WSU, go right ahead - it’s the kind of thing one has come to expect. Sure, a drunken few make the diligent majority look bad but don’t go seeking beyond the sensational. And true, Wazzu has become a Mecca of Mediocrity. But I won’t hold my breath waiting for you to consider a cheapskate electorate or an anti-education legislature as the culprits behind this decline. If I want analysis or argument, I’ll check The New Yorker or the like.

But someone living in Spokane making fun of Pullman? That’s a good one. No doubt about it, Pullman is small, boring and aesthetically challenged. But Spokane? We’re not talking garden spot here. A gritty, creepy hub of meth labs and mass murderers is hardly the seat from which to cast aspersions on any town, anywhere.

Pullman ain’t Positano. But I’ll take homely, friendly Pullman over Spokane any old day. Michael Hanly Pullman

Listening is not acceptance

When my son was a student at Eastern Washington University, a professor arranged a field trip to the Rev. Richard Butler’s compound for a presentation by Butler. It was by no means an endorsement of Butler or his ideas but it was an important learning experience for the class. The students respectfully listened to what was said, asked polite questions and returned to class to discuss many aspects of their experience.

College is the appropriate place and venue to examine difficult issues facing society. One of my children has considered law school. Would he learn the law as the good fathers at Gonzaga want it to be or would he learn it as it really is? Too bad EWU doesn’t have a law school. Its people apparently know more about the importance of academic inquiry and freedom that Gonzaga.

By the way, not one student was converted to Butler’s cause by the visit. Nancy Parker Spokane

Ignorance at core of rejection

And the Gonzaga vs. Planned Parenthood debate goes on. At least there is a debate. In the bad old days of academia, heads would roll and life would be quiet again for a while.

Sad that the truth about the good that Planned Parenthood does is not better known: education about healthy lifestyles, how to treat or keep from getting sexually transmitted diseases, and just basic good health. In this regard, Gonzaga and Planned Parenthood share the same goal: education, bringing in the light to battle the darkness of ignorance.

From what Father Robert Spitzer is quoted as saying about this issue of a Planned Parenthood speaker at Gonzaga, he is coming from a place of ignorance, not true knowledge of the bigger picture. What would have happened had he just gone to the meeting in question and engaged the group in constructive dialogue, instead of launching golden narrows from his ivory tower? Perhaps he would have learned more, and then been able to demonstrate his knowledge instead of his ignorance. After all, Jesus was willing to at least sit in the same room with those whom society considered sinners.

People who inhabit positions of power have an extraordinary responsibility to use it wisely. Wisdom in our leaders is a blessing; ignorance from such lofty places will be devastating because of the divisiveness it fosters.

When divisiveness takes over, debate ends. This is to be avoided if we would have a healthy society. Susan D. Frankovich Spokane

IDAHO VIEWPOINTS

Program’s downside made clear

Re: “Cities differ on morality program,” April 13.

We are appalled at the situation Chris Copstead encountered at the International Conference for Building Cities of Character in Indianapolis. (“Cities differ on morality program,” April 13). Sounds very similar to the methods used by cults.

Did Dan Pinkerton, sponsor of the 11 delegates from this area, realize this was a front for a narrow-minded indoctrination program?

We congratulate Copstead for recognizing the attempt by the evangelical minority to infiltrate local governments and for withstanding whatever pressure was exerted. We commend him on the having the courage to speak out against the program.

Our founding fathers envisioned a country not ridden with the strife of the religious conflict that was endemic in the European countries, where governments were connected with the majority religions. They carefully crafted our Constitution to make this a religiously neutral country. They specifically wrote the First Amendment to keep religion out of government and vica versa.

It was predicated on English Common Law (which predated the coming of Christianity to England by many years), and on the ideas of John Locke and David Hume, both Deists, among others.

We hope Mayor Steve Judy’s comment, “I don’t think it’s going to be a priority right now” was a diplomatic way to lay the matter to rest.

We also hope this will be a wake-up call in whatever areas this news item reaches that this is another attempt by the unrighteous right to impose their viewpoints on everyone and to limit the freedoms this country has enjoyed for over 200 years. Kay and Harlan Hayes Coeur d’Alene

Eismann will be a good justice

Judge Daniel Eismann gets my vote. How about you?

“Don’t give more to the federal government than it lawfully is entitled to,” said Judge Eismann. And that’s just for openers. What more, he’s a true Idahoan. Another plus, he’s a member of the National Rifle Association. What with a purple heart and a handful of medals, I’m sure he’s for veterans.

As a former state patrolman and former security officer for the Headquarters’ Squadron 60th Fighter Wing, I’ve been a noncommissioned sworn deputy sheriff under Pierce Clegg of Kootenai County since 1989. I went through Faragut, Idaho, in boot camp and served in the Navy as a petty officer during World War II. I’m not running for office; I ask you to cast your vote for Idaho Supreme Court justice. Elect, Eismann. I’m sure he’s the right man. Dell Gressley Post Falls

Reynalds best bet for Shoshone sheriff

I recommend a longtime friend and colleague, Charles “Chuck” Reynalds, for Shoshone County sheriff. I’ve known him for 15 years as a man of high stature and ethics. He has been the motivator behind many efforts to support our nation’s veterans. He was instrumental in the naming of the Veterans Memorial Bridge, the purchase of the first VA Medical Center Shuttle Bus for Kootenai County and so many other worthy projects.

Reynalds is a retired Navy warrant officer with 20 years of military service. I feel that with this experience, as well as his upstanding character and highly involved work ethic in investigative activities, he would be a great asset to Shoshone County.

As a serious veterans advocate, I hope the citizens of Shoshone County support Reynalds and elect him as their next sheriff. Ben Keeley director, Kootenai County Veterans Services, Coeur d’Alene

That doesn’t sound like a nuisance

Re: the April 22 article about the Marina at Arrow Point. One would hardly think that a decision based on safety issues by an assistant attorney general for the state of Idaho, concurred with by the Department of Lands director for the state, could be considered merely a nuisance. Pat Stroud Coeur d’Alene

Clarification

A letter in Thursday’s editions made light of the fact that U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno has Parkinson’s disease. That type of personal attack is not appropriate commentary and will not be published in the future.