Feedback
The real deal on heaven
Regarding the column on your editorial page (“Heaven? Try a good book and a cold beer,” June 4), the writer, Mr. Tyner, is entitled to his own opinion, but I could not accept his view of Heaven.
I have lived on the island and have been a subscriber to the Review for over 50 years. I know many of your readers objected to the headline as I did.
Heaven is much more than that. Heaven is really the peace of God and his offering of eternal life to those who believe in him through Jesus Christ.
You, the editor, are a good man and doing good work, but I and many others believe this to be offensive and a shock to them.
I’m not representing a church in what I say, but I do I believe in eternal life and heaven.
RICH GILL
Murden Cove
Environment
A positive vote on climate bill
Scientific analyses indicate that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere must be stabilized below current levels in order to avert serious climate change.
Last week the U.S. Senate debated the Lieberman/Warner Climate Security Act of 2008, which would implement a cap and trade system to reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. This bill goes a long way toward achieving such a goal.
This is a significant milestone toward enacting strong, fair, science-based legislation to address climate change issues. Even though the bill fell short of the 60 votes needed to end debate, a majority of senators supported it. With this level of support we expect to see another bill introduced and passed early in the next legislative session.
We acknowledge the courage and leadership of Sens. Leiberman and Warner for introducing the bill and Sen. Boxer for bringing it to the floor. We also acknowledge our Washington Sens. Murray and Cantwell for supporting the bill, and the many other senators who backed it.
This signals an historic direction for U.S. policy toward climate change. We urge citizens to support candidates who are willing to enact this kind of legislation. Climate change is the most urgent global issue of our time.
CHERYL HUNTER, JOHN DUNCAN, GARY LAGERLOEF, PEGGI ERICKSON, DIANNE GIBBONS, MELANIE KEENAN and MALCOLM GANDER
Citizens Climate Lobby, Bainbridge Island Branch
Not a soil swap, a mine
The exchange of soil from the triangle sand pit site for clay rich glacial till from Blossom Hill is not just a soil swap. Rather this appears to be a mining operation, as more than three acres have been disturbed.
One only needs to drive the three roads (Lynwood Center, Fletcher Bay and Bucklin Hill) surrounding the almost eight-acre site to observe that more than three acres have been disturbed.
Approximately 55 to 60 percent of the site, or more than four acres, are impacted. According to the Department of Natural Resources, the ongoing excavation at the new triangle sand mine could require further SEPA review, a reclamation permit, monitoring and sampling.
In the meantime, since the project is well in excess of the scope of the grading permit, we believe the city should shut down the site until monitoring and sampling that would be required by the state for a site over three acres are complete.
Although three professional hydrogeologists and community members alerted the city to numerous soil concerns and the fact that the site exceeds three acres, the site remains operable, with neither monitoring nor pre-removal sampling. This is disturbing.
We depend on the city to act to protect our finite island water resources, to assure that the numerous shallow wells that depend on this critical aquifer-recharge area are not going to be irreversibly impacted by this operation.
Contrary to the scope of work approved under the “grade and fill permit,” the actual ongoing project has been substantially underestimated. This is anything but a simple soil swap.
MELANIE KEENAN and MALCOLM GANDER
Professional hydrogeologists
Falk Road
Weather
Fie on a woeful lack of spring
After a spring like this, we’ll need to revise our choice hardship tales. I mean the ones about walking to school in the snow up hill both ways.
Just as we expected global warming would make us a northern California paradise, we realize somebody got it backwards. We are the ones who got more gloom and soggier days.
This spring is a miserable non-spring. Neighborhood smiles browsing around the chilly island nurseries are looking pinched.
Worse, all of this is happening as we don’t buy paper newspapers for entertainment and those essential home tasks like fireplaces, July 4th grilling, and pets.
It is one hardship to watch a stack of DVDs go up in smoke as a fire starter. But dealing with the needs of “Tabby” and “Rommel” in these sodden, unusual times is another.
R.O. CONOLEY
Sunrise Drive
Community
Thanks for the great MS walk
It was another wonderful year of raising money and walking to find a cure for multiple sclerosis. The greater Washington chapter brought in over $2,200,000, with over $73,000 from Bainbridge Island!
As an added bonus, April 12 was a bright, sunny day.
A special thanks to the many volunteers and the local businesses for your generous support.
TRUDE and MIKE LISAGOR
Wood Avenue
