Letters

Column biased, full of inaccuracies

This is in response to the Bayview News article in the Prairie Voice of Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008, by your correspondent, Herb Huseland.

It is our understanding that news articles are to be unbiased and based on facts. Mr. Huseland’s latest column spoke of the Sept. 16 Bayview Chamber of Commerce meeting. If Mr. Huseland had been in attendance at the Chamber meeting, he would have known that the meeting took place on Sept. 9, not Sept. 16. There were many other factual errors in this article.

Chamber agendas normally allow 30-minute “guest” presentations, with a short question-and-answer session following. The presentation, question-and-answer session of the proposed golf course gated development, lasted 55 minutes. At this time, President Jim MacDonald closed the presentation in order to continue the scheduled agenda. When the discussions between the development presenters and interested parties began interfering with the general meeting, Mr. MacDonald asked them to be silent or continue their discussion outside.

Mr. Huseland’s article states, “scarcely a dozen people left in attendance,” when in fact 26 chamber members remained.

The motion regarding the $960 fireworks raffle proceeds being donated to the Community Center foundation was made by Skip Wilcox and seconded by Hobart Jenkins. The article states that Mr. Wilcox is a director of the Community Center foundation. Mr. Wilcox is not a director of said foundation. Mr. Huseland then went so far as to insinuate that there might have been wrongdoing by members who did not recuse themselves. No recusal was necessary.

In regard to the State of Idaho letter about the proceeds of the Chamber raffle, Mr. Jones was advised by the Chamber secretary to contact the addressee of the letter, President MacDonald. Even though Mr. Jones never contacted President MacDonald, he was provided a copy of the letter on Sept. 22.

In our opinion, Mr. Huseland has been grossly irresponsible in the reporting of the facts of the Chamber meeting. Since Mr. Huseland was not at the meeting, he must have based this article totally on hearsay, without verifying any of his information. Had he bothered to contact any of the named Chamber board members, this travesty could have been avoided.

Our community organizations depend on volunteers to fill these leadership positions. This type of unprofessional reporting only serves to do harm to the individuals and the community as a whole.

If Mr. Huseland is to continue as the Bayview correspondent for The Spokesman-Review, his reporting needs to be accurate and unbiased. Mr. Huseland, at the very least, owes the Chamber, the Community Center foundation and the Bayview community a public apology.

Skip Wilcox, Jim MacDonald, Rob Brooke, Claire Cosgrove and Dennis and Sue Damon

Bayview