Letters for Sept. 17, 2023

Mead School Board could use Knaggs’ skills

David Knaggs is a No. 1 candidate for the Mead School Board who can bring a unique set of knowledge, leadership and values in the care, direction and education of the next generation of Mead students. I have worked with David professionally and have known him personally for the last 12 years.

David brings exceptional insight from a science and technology perspective with a 20-year background in engineering and leadership in the tech industry. Our children need top-notch education in science, technology, engineering and math to remain competitive globally, and David can bring that dimension to the Mead School Board.

Additionally, David has excellent people and collaboration skills and is a leader that is consistent and steady, nonpartisan and in my opinion, the most highly valued, of exceptional integrity.

David is a passionate father of four children who are all enrolled in the Mead district. He also understands the details of the Mead schools as his wife Andy is an educator at Highlands.

Excellence in our future educational system requires objective leadership, knowledge of cultural and community trends, global demands and a person of exceptional character.

David Knaggs will bring all of those to bear for the next generation of our kids!

Walt Takisaki

Spokane

Eucharistic march divides

On its surface, the March for Eucharistic Revival sponsored on Sept. 10 by the Catholic Diocese of Spokane may be a worthwhile event – for Catholics. However, since it celebrates the right of only Roman Catholics to participate in Eucharist – full communion – it instead is an expression of Catholic insularity and a slap in the face of our Protestant brothers and sisters.

By excluding Protestant Christians from participation in Eucharist, I believe the Catholic Church is simply perpetuating its reactionary responses to the valid criticisms made at the time of the Reformation and substituting human legalisms for true reform and revival. Thus, instead of being an instrument of unity, Catholic Eucharistic is a divisive practice which has created centuries of tragic conflict, which still drives many interfaith marriages and families apart and creates resentment and division at church celebrations when non-Catholics are refused Eucharist. This failure of mission is intensified since Catholic theology insists that only Catholic Eucharist offers humans the true presence of Christ – who invited all to come to him and accepted all who came.

I love my church, but I am embarrassed and ashamed when I see Protestant Christians excluded from Eucharist at wedding and funeral masses and other times; so, as a Catholic lay minister of 40-plus years I cannot march in celebration of such a divisive practice. I do not believe Christ himself would walk in this event without inviting all who witness it to join him in the feast. Bishop Daly should do the same.

Steve Blewett

Spokane

Less government the better

As our politicians once again meet to decide whether or not to raise the debt ceiling, we should reflect on the two major differences between conservatism and liberalism. When a conservative hears the question, “Should the government ___?” nine times out of 10 we say, “No!” When a liberal hears the question, they say, “Yes!” 11 times out of 10.

When the question is, “Should the people be allowed to ___?” the left almost always says, “No!” while we on the right demand the freedom to do as we see fit and take responsibility for it. Conservatives understand that America wasn’t built because of a powerful government but instead was built by people who were given the freedom to do so because one of the very few Constitutional required jobs of government, the military, provided us with the security to do so.

We have seen the years since COVID what happens when government steps in and tells the people, “No!” We the people need to take the power back from government and allow Trump to finish the job of draining the swamp. Make America great once again by voting for Trump and Republicans in the 2024 election. Ultra MAGA!

The world is a much better place when the American people are allowed to do what we do, which is to prosper and be free. Government is not the answer. Government is almost always the problem!

Rob Leach

Mica

We need better plan for fire detection

The Spokesman-Review reported on Sept. 8 that Washington is installing 21 fire detection cameras around the state. That reminds me of the old fire watch lookout towers. The issue isn’t detection but the speed of the response when a small fire is detected. The Oregon Road fire was seen from the Deer Park Airport as a small smoke plume. The fire tankers staged at the airport were not dispatched to put out the small fire and it grew to over 10,000 acres. Several people saw the small fire and reported it, so how did it grow into such a large fire?

First responders use the incident command system which is the standard for large scale events. It is a bureaucratic system that doesn’t work well until a fire becomes a large event. We need a system that detects and stops fires before they become larger events. The fires in Spokane County were reported but not controlled early in the event. Faster reaction to reports of smoke and fire during extreme fire conditions is needed.

Early release of the fire tankers would help. At least dispatch the fire boss planes to evaluate the growing fire. Spokane County got caught unprepared to deal with two large fires in one weekend and whatever plan or system was in place was inadequate.

Our only hope is to stop these urban interface wildfires in the early stages before they become large and deadly destructive. We need a better plan for next year.

Pete Scobby

Newport, Wash.

Children’s librarians missing in action

Our city has beautiful new libraries. However, children’s librarians are missing in action. There are no children’s librarians available at any of our libraries to recommend books to children and their caregivers, or to build relationship with children in order to suggest books that will capture the child’s interests.

During the summer break, many students lose reading proficiency if they are not engaged in reading independently. As students return to school this fall, most will start the academic year with achievement levels lower than where they were at the beginning of summer break.

In 2022, fourth- and eighth-grade reading scores declined for most states compared to 2019. Also, children are spending less time reading outside of school. These declines need the support of children’s librarians to encourage reading outside of school. This will help improve reading scores. The more you read, the better you read.

These statistics should be reasons that our public libraries have yearlong programs that encourage independent reading through interactions with children’s librarians who will connect children with books that will interest them. Our libraries need to employ children’s librarians who will lead such interactions with young readers that will help increase reading proficiency and life-long habits of reading.

Marilyn Carpenter

Spokane

Liberal recommends Dan Newhouse

We’re a year out from the next election, but this hardcore Spokane liberal recommends that Washington’s 4th District supports Dan Newhouse. There are several reasons for this.

First, Newhouse is one of two Republican Washington representatives who voted to convict Donald Trump on his second impeachment. That had to be a hard vote for him, but he seems to have been guided by the same core principles that persuaded Mike Pence to do the right thing on Jan. 6, 2021.

Second, Newhouse provides a legitimate voice for actual conservatives in Washington, and not merely a mouthpiece for the wilder MAGA noise which tends to drown out civil discussion. Newhouse seems to be susceptible to Nikki Haley’s remark that it is Republicans who are responsible for most of deficits in the past decade.

Third, Newhouse apparently has the stature to avoid the fate of Jaime Herrara-Beutler, a perfectly reasonable centrist Republican who was primaried by the wild right – and as a result, Washington has eight Democrats in Congress instead of seven.

Finally, as a hardcore Democrat, I recognize that the Democratic Party needs an intelligent, reasonable intellectual challenge from the right. Newhouse is such a person, and will well represent the Fourth District. It’s a pity that the GOP didn’t send Herrera back to Congress, and it’s a pity that the 5th District will send the spineless CMR back to Congress.

Vote for Dan Newhouse in the 4th District, and find a Newhouse conservative for the 5th.

John D. Sahr

Otis Orchards