Sincere thanks

To the editor -- Thank you for running the article about Children's Wishes and Dreams. My granddaughter, Emma, age 5, has cystic fibrosis, and last summer was granted her wish to go to Disneyland, Universal Studios, Sea World and the beach.

Also part of her dream was for her Papa and Ama to go, so the organization helped us coordinate our flight so we would be with Emma and her family. Emma said "it was the best time" of her life. She still talks about her adventure and I am sure she will remember it for a very long time. We would like to thank everyone who made this possible. I am sure many families would not be able to fulfill their children's dreams because of all the expenses from their illnesses.

KATHY SHUMACHER

Yakima 

Kudos for cleaning

To the editor -- As club president, I would like to personally thank members of the Wenas Valley Muzzleloaders and other volunteers for their time and effort to help clean up the lower end of the L.T. Murray.

On April 19, we hauled away some 50 cubic yards of debris from the recreational area.

The L.T. Murray cleanup is the Wenas Valley Muzzleloaders' annual project. This is for the benefit of sportsmen and shooting enthusiasts. Good job and thanks again.

BILL REMINGTON

Selah 

Charities benefit

To the editor -- Thank you to all of the federal employees in Yakima and Kittitas counties for making the 2007 Combined Federal Campaign a success. Thanks to your generosity, $81,465 was raised for charities both locally and worldwide. This was a 6 percent increase in giving from the 2006 campaign. This increase, coupled with a decrease in administrative costs, is allowing even more money to go to the charities.

Locally, charities in Yakima and Kittitas counties will receive over $30,000. These funds will provide emergency shelter to families, a wish to children with life-threatening illnesses, a venue for law enforcement firearm training and much more. Your local Federal Coordinating Committee looks forward to another successful year under the leadership of Barbara Geffert, the chair for 2008. Thank you for your support!

RANDY SCHEIBNER

Yakima 

Trust weakened

To the editor -- The April 5 article, "Granger gunman released without charges," regarding the killing of Paul Erik Lopez, decreased my trust in our legal system. A young man was shot to death and justice will not be served. The man responsible for his killing, allegedly a rival gang member, went to the victim's home armed with a gun. He claims he fired in self-defense. The Sheriff's Office is still investigating. No charges have been filed yet. But if he had not been at the residence on Guzman Avenue where a party was being held, Paul Erik Lopez would still be alive today. His children would not have to grow up without a father. There would be no grieving mother, wife, sister and brother. A family would not have to move out of fear of retaliation.

Violence is not OK, no matter the circumstances. We depend on the system to seek justice and in Paul Eric's case justice will not be served. We must not forget who the victim is. Crimes are committed every day and lives are lost. This is an issue that should not be taken lightly. It saddens me to know that this man will walk free after killing another. A life can never be replaced but justice can be served. I hope we are not misinforming our youth.

JUANY SOLIZ

Granger

Seniors benefit

To the editor -- All of us in the Yakima Valley Community College Automotive Technology program appreciate the courteous donations that went to our Senior Appreciation Day.

With these donations, we serviced 38 vehicles April 1. We removed studded tires, made oil changes and all the vehicles were given a free safety inspection. Again, we would like to thank everyone for their donations, because without those donations we would not be able to give back to the senior citizens who give so much to our community.

Without the support and goodwill of Yakima businesses, Yakima Valley Community College would not have been able to give back to our community.

CLIFFORD E. ERVIN

Yakima

A new debacle?

To the editor -- If you could go back in time and meet with the two previous Yakima County commissioners and one who is still serving concerning the jail site disaster, what would you say? I believe that would be more than obvious. What if you had the same opportunity, right now, with that same board member, plus the two new ones, concerning relocating a wrecking yard? But this time you would know 10 times more facts.

Please take the time and go to www.citizensprotectingresources.org to find out for yourself how Yakima County's taxpayers are about to go through something far worse then the jail debacle. Your county commissioners have decided to gift close to $700,000 of your monies to relocate a business that for decades had not paid a dime in property taxes until 2006, according to the assessor's office, and now will be rewarded. I also think you may be amazed at how our public officials go about doing business to us and not for us.

Please note all concerned parties want this wrecking yard off the river; we just think it's a good idea not to put it back on the same aquifer that runs back into the same river they are taking it from.

KRISTINE H. RUSSI

Yakima 

Patriotic publication

To the editor -- Great work on the special section, "The War Years: WWII and the Yakima Valley."

Your profiles on these very patriotic and just plain interesting individuals were just outstanding. Kudos to the reporters who put this together. They captured the individuals and the mood, atmosphere of the public.

Though I have, on occasion, been critical of your newspaper, this piece restores my faith. Thank you.

DAVID BETZING

Yakima

When will cycle end?

To the editor -- I've seen a lot of news lately about the Dislocated Workers Program.

Having been through the program, I felt compelled to share my experience.

A very nice DWP counselor gave me a choice of "In Demand" jobs the state would pay to train in.

I chose accounting and enrolled at Yakima Valley Community College.

After two years of college I graduated with honors, earning an associate's degree in accounting. My family and I were very proud.

That was last June, and I still haven't secured employment.

Everywhere I've applied I get the same response, if any, "No experience."

My latest rejection came from the state of Washington itself.

After spending thousands of dollars sending me to college, they, too, said I needed more training or experience.

If they won't hire people they train, why would anyone else?

I've spent several years, countless hours studying, and a lot of savings while on this program, and I'm still unemployable.

It would be nice if the DWP had a placement program to complement its training program.

After all, the point of the program is being employable in a new career, right?

Best wishes to whoever chooses this program.

I pray you have better luck.

ANDREW J. LITTRELL

Yakima

The problems' common tie

To the editor -- As a retired police officer, I found the April 25 article "Police review blasts higher-ups" disturbing. The Yakima Police Department captains and lieutenants have high standards of ethics, personal values and morals. I know each one; they are my friends and persons I have trusted to protect my life. These officers will not compromise professional standards to gain favor or status. Police officers swear loyalty to the oath of office, they do not swear loyalty to a man.

A police chief's duties are not easy, and personnel conflicts are a certainty. We know Chief Sam Granato has accomplished several goals and tasks that have been beneficial to this community. The position holds great power and influence, which requires proper restraint and supervision by appointed city officials and elected leaders. Granato seems to have lost his power of influence over subordinates and now has resorted to power of position; this should be of greatest concern to city leadership and the community.

This newspaper has reported extensively on Granato's history concerning employee relationship issues and employee unions. Now he shifts blame to the command staff. There is an obvious common denominator in these continuing employee/personnel/union relationship issues; it is not the command staff, not the unions, not individual officers. Will city leaders continue to turn a blind eye to the obvious?

MEL LIGHT

Yakima

No chance for coexistence

To the editor -- Poor Laura Bush. Not only is she the only one in the family who knows how to spell nuclear, she appears to have married an individual who either got excused from history or was asleep during class.

While going through family papers that have accumulated in various boxes and cedar chests over the years, I ran across several pages of articles from a Seattle Post-Intelligencer edition dated Sunday, March 15, 1959. The one that caught my eye was titled "Communist Controlled Terrorism: Iraq Proof Coexistence Impossible."

It seems that Russia tried to control Iraq with about as much success as we are able to control Iraq. While Russia and the United States are very opposite, the problems seem to be the same.

Coexistence in a country that does not share the same religion and each believes their religion is the only one that should be, no outside influence will ever unit Iraq in any of our lifetimes.

JAMES B. KRUEGER

Sunnyside

A disturbing new style

To the editor -- I thought about writing this letter several weeks ago, but then let the time slip away and forgot about it. Then I received another JC Penney sales catalog. Now I know there is no longer a Penneys in Yakima, but there is one in Sunnyside and I'm sure there are a lot of catalog and online Penney's shoppers in the area.

Penney's new marketing campaign is "American Living." The logo includes an American flag and an eagle superimposed over the words American Living, with Quality Brand in smaller letters under the flag and eagle. However, all the products in this line are imported! I e-mailed Penneys and the response was that this is a "concept" meant to represent the American way of life.

Well, I feel American-made products should represent the "American way of life." I know it's harder and harder to find products that are made in America, but to represent a line of imported products as "American Living" is simply wrong.

The latest catalog calls this "a new tradition in American style." I'm afraid it is.

KELLY BOLT

Sunnyside

Keep seeking the truth

To the editor -- Every few years a book is promoted as the end all of the creation/evolution debate as scientists seek to master the art of preaching their secular gospel to the masses. The latest book reviewed in the April 27 newspaper, while not introducing any new evidence, does a remarkable job of packaging the evolutionist's perspective of it so as to inspire the already predisposed mind to shout "Hallelujah."

As such, scientific bigotry will continue its arrangement of facts according to "acceptable" presuppositions, dissenting voices will be discounted or silenced and a united front of certainty will continue to prevail.

Those who find exhilaration in being freed from the troublesome concept of Absolute Truth and a Sovereign Creator will continue their hollow celebrations. The brevity of life and the extent of the eternal can be carelessly ignored as we revel in the profundity of our temporary wisdom. The contemplation of man's depravity and Christ's sole sufficiency before a holy God can await another day. Our own erudite and dismissive question, "What kind of god could be so haphazard in creating?" can temporarily silence the irksome but ultimately more profound and searching query from Job 38:4, "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?"

DAVE WOOD

Yakima

Options for a new fire chief

To the editor -- East Valley Fire District need not go to the outside for its third fire chief in three years. Fire Commissioner Les Riel has demonstrated the authorities of the chief's position.

Commissioner Riel should resign his position and become the next Fire Chief. Chief Riel would assume both authority and responsibility of the fire chief and East Valley Fire District would finally get the Riel deal. Another alternative would be for Commissioner Riel to resign, allowing Deputy Chief Mike Riel be appointed chief.

DENNIS MAYO

Yakima

How not to manage oil rigs

To the editor -- The recent letter-writer who advocated the U.S. government having its own oil drilling and processing rigs stopped me in my tracks. My image of that is underwhelming: Oil wells would be 10,000 feet deep and produce nothing but hot air. The work crews would be ex-Civil Service employees who would specialize in drinking coffee and talking about last night's TV shows while casually wondering why the pump isn't working. There would be four supervisors for every employee and they would spend their time on junkets to Cancun and Maui to study oil production. The primary function of each oil drilling site would be to produce paperwork.

Having the U.S. government run the oil rigs is a great idea. How do you feel about a $500 barrel of oil and walking to work? That is, if you have a job?

TERENCE SEXTON

Yakima

Hats off to educators

To the editor -- I've seen so many negatives about our schools' success rates and dropout rates. But this is a kudo to our district's wonderful teachers and administrators.

Though not one for book work, my oldest son was inspired by a Yakima Valley Technical course. After graduating from Eisenhower and then Perry Technical Institute, he is now gainfully employed as an electrician in Spokane. Now my youngest is graduating from Ike. His wonderful public school education will serve him well. His wonderful teachers who inspired his personal dedication led him to a full scholarship to study engineering at the University of Washington.

My sons made it with a public school education from the same institutions many seem to think are failing. Before blaming the schools, we should look at our own family structures and see what we could do differently to help our kids. Do they stay engaged in educational goals, participate in sports or school activities? Most importantly do we adults encourage them to look upon education as being supremely important?

I believe we have very qualified teachers who are there to help those who are interested in and dedicated to success. Good job Ike teachers/faculty. You are appreciated.

MARTIN DEVER

Yakima