Letters for May 24, 2022
Home evaluation
I’m usually quite supportive of city initiatives and school bonds. I appreciate the things hey do. At this time, however, with the evaluation of our homes skyrocketing, I think we need some discussion and answers of how those new evaluations effect our taxes and how that much higher tax base is used to fund government. If we are paying 20% more just because our house’s value increased, then why should we continually add bonds for so many agencies?
Maybe someone can explain all this to my satisfaction.
Bruce Embrey
Spokane
Avista Stadium
In all this talk about various ways to pay for the upgrades to Avista Stadium, not one time have I heard anyone suggest that Avista should be part of the funding source. They want to have the naming rights for the stadium, seems only fair they should also pay a fair share to upgrade the facilities, or maybe take their name off of the stadium!
Lee Hirschel
Spokane
Words matter
In response to: Join the Club: Letters to a Newspaper, May 18, 2022.
Congratulations to the students of North Central High School and Kelli Kiki, their teacher, for publishing their letters to the editor in the Spokesman. These students selected an issue they cared about, took a stance, did the research to support their views, and presented it in language that was reasoned and clearly presented - not bombastic, inflammatory, or biased. Also, in the process of writing their letters they learned about the workings of a newspaper from the editor and staff of The Spokesman.
These students have demonstrated not only their ability to think through an opinion, but also how important words are in presenting that opinion so that others will take the time to read it.
Partnerships like this one help our students learn what being a citizen and community member means. I hope the Spokesman Review and area schools do more of this type of collaboration. We need more news like this from our schools and our newspaper. We all benefit from it.
Susan McGinty
Liberty Lake
Students’ effort makes teacher proud
My congratulations to the students of Kelly Kiki’s English class at North Central High School. I read every word of every editorial they submitted. I was impressed, not only by the obvious thought, problem solving, and personal impact each put into the issue they presented, but by the character of the students themselves, as shown in their writing. I was proud of my alma mater, as I too attended N.C. and played a small part on the staff of the student newspaper, 70 years ago, under Miss McKenna.
It’s good to hear of a new generation of skilled, creative, compassionate teachers who inspire our future leaders, as I’m sure these students will be.
Beverly Varcoe
Spokane
Friends of the Valley Library
In 2003, Spokane Valley incorporated. The new city council decided to privatize the Main Street library. Privatization made many library users quite anxious. The library, built in 1955, had never had a friends group, but quickly formed, set up a bank account, and began early morning picket lines at City Hall. Community activism persuaded the city council against privatization.
One activity of Friends of the Valley Library (FVL) was book sales, raising funds for library programs, putting books into the homes of community members. Books donated by the community were sorted, boxed, and sales organized. Proceeds were used for unbudgeted library items, and programs like Spokane is Reading, Summer Reading, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Poetry Slams.
Our core members consisted of ten to twelve, but three times that number was needed to set up books sales. Volunteers came from all over Spokane Valley. The Friends group was a true community effort — book donations, sorting, shelving, publicizing, setting-up and cleaning-up.
As a founding member, it saddens me to realize FVL is gone, and that SCLD doesn’t seem to understand or appreciate the different roles friends group and foundations play in a library community.
The personal joy of arriving early during a sale, seeing long lines of folks awaiting the opening of doors is gone. Friends of the Valley Library was for everyone. Thanks to one and all for answering our calls to help.
Lois Harger
Spokane Valley
Congress to investigate UFO’s
This is nothing less than the Pentagon’s ploy for plundering taxpayers’ pockets, yet again. We’ll be told there’s plenty to fear, because fearmongering is a growth industry these days. I’d be much happier (safer, too) with 535 aliens in our nation’s capital building … what an improvement over the current occupants!
Bruce Market
Spokane