Saturday, April 5, 2014 • Whidbey News-Times
WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM
Page A7
MORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CONTINUED FROM PAGE A6
parks to the right-of-ways. “Every one (of them) is a liability to the city power elite.” We could then put up signs on the roads leading into Oak Harbor proclaiming, “Welcome to Oak Harbor. Don’t worry, we cut down all the oak trees for your safety. “Even if they never hurt anyone as much as cars, trucks and buses or dogs or people have. Even though they cleaned our air and water and gave us shade and beauty. “We did this for your own good whether you like it or not. “We are the government and we are smarter than you. God bless America!” Why stop with the oak trees? Proclaim “eminent domain” and cut down every darn tree within the city limits. People are too stupid to realize how dangerous the trees in their yards are. They will surely damage their homes and cars or fall on their fences or lawn ornaments. And, these trees suck up the water people sprinkle on their lawns and litter their roofs and walkways with leaves and needles. And, of course, thinking people know that trees slowly die over a period of decades and look unsightly; they only live for a few hundred years or so and, therefore, are not
GRAVES CONTINUED FROM A1 found a human skull at the ferry landing.” During the summer of 1986, my first reporter byline appeared in the News-Times. Flipping through the late 1980s and early
worth keeping around. What Oak Harbor really needs is more paved right-of-ways and more big box stores with acres of parking lots and more storm water run-off sewage treatment facilities. These projects create jobs, unlike arborists and landscapers and yard workers. We’ll all be safer with the removal of every native tree and shrub and the paving of every square inch of public and private land. God save us from nature; it’s so dirty and dangerous, unlike roads, parking lots, vehicles and building materials. I don’t know what these nature lovers are screaming about. After all, after the world burns up all that coal and oil and natural gas we’re gouging and fracking out of the earth, the acid rain would probably have killed that darn tree anyway. And, after the ice caps are melted, the sea level will be above where that now dying stump is bleeding its sap into the heart of what will someday be ol’ Oak Harbor. It can be an underwater archaeological site, saved as a World Heritage site by the United Nations if it lasts another hundred years, unlike oak trees that can last for hundreds if ignorant men don’t cut them down.
Ode to mighty Quercus Garryana Editor, Farewell to thee mighty Oak, Twas not rot nor blight Made thee croak. ‘Twas the mayor, ax in hand, Proclaimed, “oak, you are canned!” And nary a protest was spoke. G.P. Smith Oak Harbor
Start calling it the ‘City of Harbor’
Editor, The time has come to change the town’s name to just “Harbor” since the Oak has been removed. Barb Bland Oak Harbor
Navy EIS
Speak up on behalf of marine mammals
Vern Pederson Oak Harbor
Editor, For years scientists have wondered why whales, for no apparent reason, would choose to cast themselves out of the water to die of dehydration on some beach. Now we know. They were trying to escape
1990s is like going through a time capsule. Community is everything to those of us who work at hometown newspapers like the NewsTimes. It’s not where people turn for state or national news. We publish articles and photos that people might clip out and attach to the front of their refrigerator
with a magnet. People now rely on the wealth of history contained in our bound volumes, some filling gaps in their personal histories. What we publish is a reflection of the community at a given point in time. That’s as true today as it was 124 years ago. That’s why it’s important that we
QUESTION
OF THE WEEK:
MARK
from the tortuous noise of our war machines. Not just explosives, but “active sonar,” used in antisubmarine warfare and to map the ocean floor. We now know it disrupts feeding and breeding but, also ruptures eardrums and bursts lungs. Think of a series of sonic booms or a lightning flashes going off in your face. You would probably want to escape as well. These sounds travel for hundreds of miles in water. Nevertheless, the Navy wishes to radically increase these operations. By its own estimation, their actions will cause more than 500,000 instances of marine mammal injuries, including at least 250 deaths; 275,000 instances of temporary hearing loss and 600 instances of permanent hearing loss over the next five years. A deaf whale is the equivalent of a blind bird. It will not survive in the natural world. There are no hearing ear dogfish to assist them. View the Navy’s draft Environ-mental Impact Statements and submit comments at www.NWTTEIS.com Tell them they must not increase the damage already being done to our beleaguered marine mammals. They could even adopt the strategies for protecting them as England and Spain have. Deadline for comments is April 15. Gary Piazzon Coupeville
reclaim those “lost” years of the Whidbey News-Times — because we pay respect to our community when we honor its past. ■ Keven R. Graves is executive editor and publisher of the Whidbey News-Times. He can be reached by email at kgraves@ whidbeynewsgroup.com
“What do you think should be done with the wood from the Garry oak cut down near the Oak Harbor Post Office?”
THE DATE
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April Holidays Easter 4-20 Earth Day 4-22
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April Publications & Deadlines WI Who’s Who Publication date 4-30 Your Community, Your Business, Your Story!
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Whidbey & Camano Islander
Publication date 5-14
The Whidbey & Camano Islander is a trusted resource for tourists and visitors to our islands. It is distributed via the Washington State Ferry system and along the I-5 corridor.
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Whidbey Island Green Guide
Publication date 4-9
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Holland Happening Publication date 4-23
2014 Holland Happening Wrap! Ads are displayed lining the inside section of Editorial Content and Scheduled Events.
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WI Healthcare Guide
Sales deadline 4-18 Publication date 5-17
Up-to-date information about health care professionals. This is an opportunity to tell readers about your business.
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Drive Whidbey
Sales deadline 4-11 Publication date 5-7
Section featuring information on purchasing, maintenance, parts, service and accessories.
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National Volunteer Week
publication date 4-9
“A sculpture or a bench would be cool.” Raquel Clavette Oak Harbor
“Somehow, let it heat the homeless. Let something good come from it.”
Vanir Stevens Oak Harbor
“Maybe make something with it, like a monumentaltype thing.”
Kristen Smith Oak Harbor
“Build something that the community could look at, enjoy, our kids could play on..”
Glen Cornelius Oak Harbor
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Summer Fun Page sales deadline 5-29 publication date 6-4