Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

Politicize our park board? No way

I oppose changing the Park Board selection method. Spokane-area residents and visitors have some of the most beautiful parks in the country to enjoy. In 1891, the City of Spokane placed supervision of our public parks in the hands of the City Council. In 1907 it was acknowledged that proper administration of the parks was a matter of secondary importance and subject to political interference. And that was 1907! Can you imagine what would happen to our parks today, that have been prospering for 93 years under an independent, nonpolitical Board of Park Commissioners, if some Eugsteristic individuals attempted to control our parks’ supervision based on political agenda?

Granted, the current City Council has successfully tackled the important issue of canine feces in our parks.

But that’s an area of expertise for some council members.

The City Council members are having trouble dealing with matters that are supposed to be on their plates. How could they possibly take on our public park management with success?

Let’s not destroy a system that already works well. Mary Anne Brown Spokane

Eugster has earned a recall

Re: The contentious City Council meeting of June 12.

As an Associated Student Body advisor at one of our local high schools, I can tell you that teenagers act more responsibly in the face of controversy and conflict than what I witnessed at that meeting. Our city is in dire fiscal trouble and the few voices of reason on the council were consistently drowned out by the majority, who don’t seem to grasp the gravity of our city’s situation.

Councilman Steve Eugster’s 20-minute, disjointed outburst is proof that his hidden agenda while serving as councilman is to bring forward every issue that resides in that enormous chip on his shoulder. The current litigation regarding the River Park Square Garage could be compared to acquiring credit card debt knowingly through a marriage, then refusing to pay the debt because you don’t like the terms.

Get a clue, Eugster. You’re making Spokane a laughingstock and you are placing us at risk for future projects.

It’s time for a recall of Eugster and the election of someone who can listen, be objective and who is interested in helping this great city move forward. Nancy C. Hough Spokane

Council criticisms misplaced

Fred Malstrom, say it ain’t so. Did I read your silly letter (June 11) correctly? Were you really living on Mars when our previous City Council tried to bankrupt our city?

Through my tears of laughter, I believe I read that you blame Councilmen Steve Eugster and Steve Corker for the back room deals of Roberta Greene and her ilk, who forced upon us, despite overwhelming opposition, the Lincoln Street bridge and the River Park Square fiascoes.

Had we, as American citizens, been allowed to vote on these projects (as outrageous as that seems) we would have killed these foolish ideas before Greene could spend the feds’ money. I’m not sure how you missed all this.

Now you want the two Steves who, by the way, let their opposition be known at the time, come up with the $6 million pay back. Unfortunately, your logic fails here also. You said, “After all, the $6 million would fix a lot of streets.” Since the money would be used to pay the debt, how could it be used to fix the streets? Let’s ask Greene. Michael G. Wiman Spokane

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

Try finding an alternative to bashing

I cannot let some of the recent comments about Project CDA graduates pass unanswered.

In response to John May (Letters, Jun 15), these students receive a regular high school diploma, not an “alternative certificate,” as you wrongly state. Despite your wishes, they do not disappear to an “alternative” universe after they graduate. They become the soldiers and sailors who protect you, the paramedics who rescue you, the nurses who care for you, the college students who will build the future of our city and our state.

As far as your suggestion that these kids have made decisions whose consequences they must deal with, save your breath! These kids know all about dealing with consequences. It is their defining characteristic. The idea that not being part of some car give away is any kind of punishment compared to what they have already faced is totally ludicrous. When they picket Tom Addis Dodge, they are acting on a point of principle.

Most of us had childhoods that didn’t include abusive parents, drug addiction, poverty, teen pregnancy, broken homes or some combination of all of the above. If May overcame adversity like most Project CDA students have had to, good for him. My question is, either way, where is the compassion?

Finally, D.F. Oliveria, since when does exercising your First Amendment right to assemble constitute whining? Perhaps you should go a little lighter on the Huckleberries whine. Charles Kenna Post Falls

Wilson defense doesn’t add up

As for the “silent majority” who support Riverside School District Superintendent Jerry Wilson, I’ve read only a couple of letters to the editor stating that he helped build new school grounds and helped Marvin Sather become Washington state teacher of the year. My entire family works in the education field and I don’t know anyone who owes their professional achievements to the school superintendent.

The silent majority may want to show some type of support, because as for Sandy Ross thinking Wilson “is doing an excellent job,” that is not enough for me. He definitely does not “always keep his door open,” because in almost every article I’ve read, Wilson could not be reached for comment.

I find it really ironic that the state of Washington will listen to its educators and make Sather teacher of the year, yet Sather’s own district superintendent only “hears him mumble something.” S.M. Woolf Liberty Lake

Good buildings but bad management

It is obvious that Ira Holcomb (Letters, June 7) does not live in the Riverside School District.

The facilities in the district are good but it takes more than nice buildings to make a good school. It’s what happens inside these buildings that counts.

My daughter is a student at Riverside High School. Her history book literally fell apart a month ago. Her history teacher had to glue it back together. Several history books had to be discarded because they were covered in mold. Math books aren’t in any better condition. My daughter can’t bring home Spanish or French books to study since there are only enough books for one class. That is the reality of the situation.

Last fall, teachers were told there would be no school supplies due to the lack of funds. That’s all we’ve heard from Wilson, “No money.”

No levies or bond issues have failed. The district had a $14 million budget. Wilson’s obviously getting his raises regularly. But there is no money for books or supplies, for teachers to get paid for work days mandated by the state for curriculum development, or for updated equipment for students.

Wilson’s main concern is remodeling buildings, not the education of students. This emphasis should change.

Wilson’s total disrespect for teachers, parents, taxpayers and students won’t ever change. His attitudes won’t change. The only answer is a new superintendent who is an educator, not a dictator. Betty Weed Elk

IDAHO VIEWPOINTS

Wallace library being dominated

Patrons of the Wallace Public Library are being shortchanged and potentially damaged. The library board has chosen to ignore its own knowledgeable librarians in favor of allowing one man to almost completely control the library and impose his own narrow-minded ideas and personal tastes on all matters concerning the physical space of the library.

He has redesigned the sidewalks so they no longer connect to the school or park, changed the computer desks to ones that cause ergonomic injuries and are against pending OSHA regulations, turned down free new 17-inch monitors from The Gates Foundation in favor of small 15-inch ones, removed the bike rack, locked up the community bulletin board, refused placing a trash can in the park - and on and on - so that it all looks neat to him. He won’t allow pictures on the walls or the 3-D puzzles and toys we all used to enjoy there. He would like to do away with showcasing new books on desktops where we can easily see them. We lose again … and again … and again.

I urge all patrons of the Wallace Library to stand up and take back your library. Speak up and let the board members know you expect them to run the library and not let it be run as it is being run now.

Speak up and demand that your health and rights be considered. Kathy Kane Osburn, Idaho