Letters for Feb. 16, 2024

Good for her and us

Did Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ Christian conscience give her the courage to leave Congress? Was it “helped” along by the mean, vengeful MAGA members who contributed nothing to lawmaking except chaos and obstruction? Whatever brought this surprising announcement is welcomed by many people in the 5th District. So, CMR will return to the Northwest, her family and an authentic Christian life. Good for her and us.

Kathleen Schwanz

Spokane

Turbine No. 4 taken far away

In reference to The Spokesman-Review story on the Washington Water Power turbine (Feb. 11). Way back in the 1980s, I was in engineering school learning about all things mechanical. One October night, I was in Riverfront Park late in the evening with a friend, it was cold with lots of snow cover.

We were outside the lower powerhouse and met the night man. After we talked for some time, he showed us around the powerhouse. Most likely a major violation of policy. There were four big turbines running. He explained the powerhouse in detail. These generators had external exciters used to cut lines of force and generate power. At one point he shut off all the lights in the plant. Standing there in total darkness seeing a huge blue arc of electricity from the external exciter was amazing. I was a kid in a candy store. Everything we had learned in a book in engineering school was right in front of me.

I was sad to hear the turbines were dismantled and one sent to Michigan; it angered me. Later I learned the one we were standing at was Turbine No. 4. Why cannot WWP (now Avista) working with their shareholders build a WWP Historic Museum here? This should have been done in the 1960s. It could be built near the Post Falls Dam. One half could be a science center that included STEM. Now our Turbine No. 4 is thousands of miles away.

Alan Skinner

Spokane