Sadie was so much more

I strongly take issue with the tone of the Aug 30th article announcing the passing of Sadie Charlene Cooney. It appears to overly emphasize controversies during her eight years as county assessor to the detriment of her more than 63 years of dedicated community and private service.

It was not lost on us that the one column describing selected 20-year-old political transgressions was displayed prominently on page one of the Northwest Section while the remaining five columns listing her many attributes were relegated to the lesser-read page six.

For those of us who knew Sadie she was much more than a public figure. She was our friend, confidante, comforter, guarding angel, surrogate mom and neighborhood “go to” guru. Sure, objective journalism is a worthy goal for a newspaper. But there are times when objectivity should take a back seat to celebrating a life as well lived as Sadie’s. We are poorer at her passing but far richer for the legacy and example she has left us.

Mac McCandless

Spokane