Letters for May 8

Splendid Spokane

Having recently returned to Spokane from our winter home in Arizona, we found refreshing rain, lengthening sunny days, followed by sunshine on lush blooming trees, and golden arrowleaf balsamroot on green grassy hills.

Away from the gauntlet of busy freeways I decided to go downtown to have a new battery installed in my iPhone. Driving involved courteous interactions with drivers at four-way stops, synchronized lights on most streets, and ample access to parking. The sidewalks were full of families enjoying fresh air and colorful window shopping. The “genius” helping me was fun and well informed. The fix was estimated to take an hour, so I headed off to Riverfront Park to get a good look at our iconic roaring falls. I crossed four bridges and took pictures for tourists as they marveled at the setting. Families with kids swarmed the playgrounds, and all the humanpowered rides hummed. I missed the big red wagon and the carousel, but I did see the bright and welcoming rainbow crosswalk.

Walking back to the store, I saw that people of other cultures looked comfortable in making Spokane their home. No longer acting like strangers in a strange land. Local restaurants were busy.

My phone was fixed so I happily headed home. I had experienced a delightful morning in our vibrant downtown.

Thank you, splendid Spokane.

Marion Hammer

Spokane

Is Major League Baseball running the government?

Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, Avista Stadium in Spokane, Gesa Stadium in Pasco and Funko Field in Everett all get state of Washington money to live up to Major League Baseball standards.

Major League Baseball has a policy that Minor League teams have to pay a fine if their stadium isn’t up to snuff. And unless new stadiums are built or existing stadiums renovated, teams threaten to leave local communities.

Taxpayers are made to pay for MLB -approved stadium facilities. Cities are held hostage.

In Everett, a new $100 million to $130 million stadium is in the works.

If the AquaSox pay the fine, they can continue renting Everett Memorial Stadium and keep paying more than $100,000 per year in rent to the Everett Public School District.

Are cities afraid teams will leave? Is Major League Baseball holding the cities hostage?

Organizations that hold other organizations hostage are often called terrorists. Is Major League Baseball an economic terrorist?

Maybe it’s time for citizens to start running their government instead of letting Major League Baseball do it.

John E. Martin

Mountlake Terrace, Wash.

Bloomsday jail

Another Bloomsday, another annual parade of frantic drivers emerges in West Central Spokane and Kendall Yards. They are frantic because they didn’t know that they would be trapped by the Bloomsday course. Whether they want to leave for play, work or a medical emergency, they cannot. Many local residents have learned to park their car on the other side of the course the night before, but many are unaware that they are trapped. They can “walk” across the course, but that likely involves needing a blocker to cross the masses of runners and walkers on the course. Been there, done that.

This chaos could be alleviated. Perhaps the Lilac Bloomsday Association should send postcards to every address affected the week before the race to make them aware. Or, better yet, the race could end across the Post Street Bridge as it did years ago, funneling finishers into Riverfront Park. Now that Summit Boulevard connects to the Monroe Street Bridge, there would be an escape route for residents who need it.

Rich Zywiak

Spokane