SEQUIM GAZETTE
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 • A-11
Modern Maya welcome end of the world we know
STICKY NOTES FROM THE WEB “No more running, riding near spit?” Nov. 28 I ride my horse at the spit because it is one of the few beach accesses left in the area to do so at. It’s a tragedy that a pedestrian was harmed by a horse. However, given that that is the first such incident in decades (so I’m told), it seems a bit rash to say that the ONLY solution is not to allow horses at all. Is the person who was harmed demanding that I wonder? (I doubt it.) Given that a huge number of the trails locally that hikers, bikers and horsemen enjoy were built and are largely maintained by thousands of volunteer hours from Back Country Horsemen volunteers because of lack of Parks funding, I’m pretty sure a separate horse-only trail could be created with minimal impact to the wildlife in the area. The last portion of the current trail is definitely not horse friendly turf (which may have contributed to the accident?). Everyone I know gets off their horses and leads them down that section for the sake of safety. — Caroline Gillespie What’s next? Closing the spit to humans except for special fee (infrequent) docent walks to protect the seabirds? Ironically, seabirds often choose to nest in trees adjacent human habitats such as seaside restaurants because the humans scare the predators away. Birds aren’t stupid! — Lorraine Black I can see the concerns of people versus wildlife in a wildlife refuge. I would like to see, however, the scientific
study showing the impact of people on the Spit on wildlife as the justification to restrict the kind of use on the Spit rather than pointing to this and that incident. If a scientific study study said, “Yes, the wildlife is impacted,” then I favor limiting human use of the Spit. — Larry Jeffers Oh please! … runners are predators??? … sheeesh! … How about the hunt club just across the bay? Think they have any impact on wildlife on our spit? … runners are predators … hmmmm … I think this just validates why I quit my ranger job to be a farmer. — Mike Reichner Phooey — Mr. Falzetti, refuge officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, ought to get out of his truck and try running in the vicinity of wildlife. They are a lot more aware than he apparently is — I run all of the time, including at the refuge, and the wildlife ignores me. They know a predator when they see one. — Michael Cobb This is bull, my friends family have ridden that spit many many years. Now you use the reason some horse accident, well they happen, and can happen anywhere. THAT IS A REAL BULL REASON TO STOP HORSES ON SPIT. Wake up horse people (or any one who wants to enjoy the spit); this is only the beginning … WHAT’s NEXT! — Carol Simons Hmmm … all I know is that I moved here in May, there were hikers, bikers,
Justice
From page A-10 But he took the time with many to do what must be done, inquiring into their drug history, family history, work history. Regarding his choice to partake of heroin, an addict received this question: “How’s that decision working out?” One alcoholic, noting the lack of available counseling, received some
runners and yes — horseback riders and I saw all manner of wildlife! Now, in the heart of hunting season, the place has been cleaned out! All the wildlife has gone into their little hiding places in order to avoid the folks with the shotguns! So now you’re telling me that Mr. Ryan’s answer is to prohibit RUNNERS? I’ve got news for you Ryan — it ain’t the jogging crowd that’s scaring away the wildlife! — Sheila Broumley Should have kept it a county park the way it was when I moved to Sequim in the early ’90s. Local control would have been soooooo much better and responsive. And by the way, how exactly are they planning to enforce the “no running” rule? Are the volunteer, badgewearing, green-jacketed folks going to tackle runners and “book them”? Trip wires? Speed cameras like they use on remote highways? — Craig Stevenson Stop trying to legislate our lives. This is just plain Stupid, who do they think this land belongs to — the elk? — Mar yann Gilmore Proctor I grew up riding and playing on the spit. I can’t believe it’s come to this. Too commercialized! All the people move in and want to change it for their good. Who has the biggest mouth wins. — Lori Livingston Russell I suppose that if someone fell while walking, they will prohibit walking on the Spit, too. — Roger Clark
valuable free advice. “What about AA?” Porter asked. “More people have been helped with that program than in all of the other counseling programs put together,” he said. To another who also asked for assistance with a drug problem, he said, “Here’s an idea. Why don’t you just stop doing it?” On the printed page I suppose that sounds cold, but in the courtroom it rang true. It was, moreover, respectful.
I’m sorry but I don’t agree with this. Runners and horse riders should be allowed to run and enjoy nature. — Mandie Milton Hawkins Comments on the draft plan should be e-mailed by Dec. 27 to: Kevin Ryan, Project Leader, e-mail FW1PlanningComments@fws.gov. Include Dungeness in the e-mail subject line. Please write, e-mail and fax in your opinion. If you want to be able to enjoy the land, take action. — Kristina Roe Niclas Clallam burglaries are on the rise (Dec. 5) Oh yes, such progress. Sequim used to be such a lovely safe town. In the ’60s and up we never locked our doors, now I have to keep reminding myself this isn’t our little town anymore! — Patricia Wry Erickson Yeah I remember never having a house key as a kid … The door was always unlocked … Same with our cars! Too bad! — Sandy Gilbert-Metro When we moved here in 2003, we never worried about locking our doors either. Sometimes we’d go off for the day and forget and not worry a bit. Now? Probably best to keep the doors locked even in the daytime when we’re home. — Christine-Marie Durling Orlando King There are a few in my neighborhood that I didn’t even know about. This is why I keep my crazy dog! — Shawna Ervin
Porter’s point was, you know your errors. You have the capacity to stop making them. That’s a simple notion, sure. For you and me. For others — for too many others — it represents an extraordinary challenge, one that tests to the breaking point their stunted intellectual and spiritual capacities. Reach Mark Couhig at mcouhig@ sequimgazette.com.
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Writing new chapters
The power of creating a new story for humanity is supported by modern science. We now know that “survival of the fittest” means the survival the most resilient and adaptable. In our heart of hearts, as well as in our DNA, we need to share and cooperate with each other, not compete. We are nurtured by love and flourish with acceptance. We learn best in positive settings, not punitive ones. And we thrive when we experience nature directly. Seeing the moon and the stars, walking on Earth, touching trees and awakening all our senses are essential to our physical and spiritual well-being. Dec. 21 could see the end of an anthropocentric civilization and the beginning of another civilization, one that implies a spiritual transition toward a new cosmic, biocentric conscience. On the Olympic Peninsula, we’ve already taken a huge step toward restoring natural balance to an entire ecosystem by removing the Elwha dams, launching a pilot project to lead the way for others. Our organic farms are striving to keep GMOs out of our food supply and chemical toxins out of our fields. Expanding our partnership with Mother Nature will mean buildings that create energy rather consume it and protecting cities by restoring wetlands, rather than constructing seawalls or resorting to rip rap. New stories for the future invite everyone to side with our capacity to change for the good of all. Imagine a world where the war against Mother Earth is over. Where carbon emissions are steadily dropping, stabilizing the climate, and successful industries take nothing and do no harm. Let’s welcome the end of hatred and the beginning of love and imagine the power of all of us together making it so. Diana Somerville writes about creating more sustainable communities and our personal connection with the environment. A Clallam County resident, she’s a member of the National Association of Science Writers, the Society of Environmental Journalists, the American Society of Journalists and Authors and North Coast Writers. Reach her at www.DianaSomerville.com or email columnist@ sequimgazette.com.
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Despite reassurances from astronomers and NASA announcements, Russians are in a panic. Worldwide, some 10 percent of people are genuinely frightened that the Mayan calendar predicts, come Dec. 21, life on Earth will come to a crashing, apocalyptic end. The Maya, however, know their ancient calendar doesn’t predict an end to the world, any more than reaching the end of our calendar year does. Turning a western calendar page begins a new year; the Mayan “long counting” calendar simply means we’re entering a new era, another extended cycle. As the solstice draws closer, what’s disturbing many traditional Maya are government prohibitions against holding ceremonies at pyramids and sacred sites that are also tourist magnets. It’s easy to dismiss world-ending scenarios as a sort of shared hysteria, fueled by fears that somehow we have earned a cosmic comeuppance. Yet, another way to GREENING THE see our collective future COMMONS makes saying sayonara to Diana Somerville the world as we know it an excellent idea. Bolivian President Evo Morales, in a recent United Nations address, explained that while Dec. 21 marks the end of Macha and the beginning of the Pacha in the Mayan calendar, “It is the end of selfishness and the beginning of brotherhood. It is the end of individualism and the beginning of collectivism,” a new cosmic era of community spirit. Sounds like the right direction for an era warming Earth’s climate so rapidly that droughts, floods and superstorms like Hurricane Sandy and Typhoon Bopha, repeatedly battering the Philippines after claiming more than 600 lives, herald the new normal. We’re entering a new era, said Morales, one that marks “the end of hatred and the beginning of love. The end of lies and the beginning of truth. It is the end of sadness and the beginning of joy. It is the end of division and the beginning of unity.” This will mean the end of capitalism, egoism and divisiveness, and usher in an era of community, spirit and love, Bolivia’s Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca explained. I’m all for a world where we can change corporatecontrolled capitalism so unbalancing our resources that one family, the Walmart-owning Waltons, controls as much as 40 percent of the U.S. population, fueling an income disparity increasingly reflected in the rest of the world. Seems like time to redirect our priorities, with steps like ending the $18 billion annual subsidies for oil companies’ assault on Mother Earth and abandoning expensive weapons of war to take dramatic strides toward peace.
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