The Columbian | Serving Clark County, Washington

Removal of dams gives fish a chance

Studies show that removing dams from rivers requires time for ecosystems to recover. In May of 1980, the Toutle River was a salmon poaching stew of mud and fir trees. Many of us thought it would take a century, but time healed a lot of the devastation. Check the research in ecological responses to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.

My dad would be 117 this year if he were still alive. He was a commercial fisherman, a logger, and a shingle weaver. Mostly he was part of the pioneering spirit of the Northwest, and an avid sport fisherman. He remembered the “slabs” as he would call them, 80- to 100-pound salmon that would travel up an amazingly short river for their size called the Elwha. Then the public utilities happened and the slabs were gone. He witnessed the devastation of many favorite fishing holes that his employer’s clear cutting did. He also used to remind me of how resilient salmon and steelhead were. He’d say, “We just need to give them a chance.”

If he were alive today, I’m sure his response to people saying “no” to dam removal anywhere in the Pacific Northwest would be, “We’re just giving them a chance.”

Jim Comrada

Vancouver

Resolve issue at state level

As The Columbian’s online Feb. 22 story, “Coal-state Dems oppose global-warming rules,” reported, federal regulators are trying to block regulation of carbon from coal plants. Since this issue is not being resolved federally, it is even more important to get the Portland General Electric Co. and TransAlta coal plants in Oregon and Washington closed down. By replacing coal with renewable energy, we can protect our community from future health problems without waiting on the federal government. Let’s do it now.

Christina Jensen

Vancouver

Keep an eye on Mielke and church

To act in an ethical manner or not to act in an ethical manner? That is the question facing one of Clark County’s commissioners. Tom Mielke is a commissioner and attends the King’s Way Church of God, as he told The Columbian. He will be voting on the Hazel Dell sports field complex, which has a partnership agreement with his church to share the ball field and the parking lots when the church fields and the county fields are built. Since his church has a beneficial interest in the use of the county sports fields and parking lots, he will also benefit from that agreement as one who attends the church.

Mielke is facing a crucial ethical choice: to do the right and ethical thing or to act in his own self-interest. So far he does not think this is a problem. It is a problem. We are watching.

Katherine Hammer

Vancouver

Think before you drive irresponsibly

As a trial lawyer, I make a living trying to mitigate the effects of carelessness. There’s plenty of business. I sometimes wonder how different my clients’ lives would be if someone had simply acted responsibly. I’m reminded of these cases every day as I go to and from my office and it seems half the drivers are talking on the phone.

It reminds me that somewhere there is a troubled young lady. She has no mother but she does have some money. Her mother answered her cell phone. She left the road, overturned the car and died as her 5-year-old daughter watched, trapped beside her in the car. This young lady would gladly give back every cent to have her mother back. I would, too.

Five times in the past week people have entered my office seeking help. They are hurt, have lost wages and cannot pay their medical bills. In each case their lives were changed by someone who decided to talk on the cell phone while driving.

The next time you start to talk or text think of that young woman. Your choice to talk or text on the cell phone could be a choice to kill or maim an innocent child.

William D. Robison

Ridgefield

Clark students take action

As Clark College’s Club for Social Action representative, I’ve seen students volunteer in the community. They study so they can improve America. Because club members did so much volunteering last year, we were able to purchase “Big River,” the new sequel to the documentary “King Corn.”

On March 5 at 11 a.m., a short version of “King Corn” will be followed by “Big River,” which is not available yet to OPB. The film explores what happens when large farms use chemical fertilizers, effects on local waters, and fish downstream. Around 12:30 p.m., Anne Lawrence of Storytree Farms and Lyle Stanley of Gee Creek Farm will offer a local perspective.

I find it weird Gov. Chris Gregoire is cutting college funding as enrollment is up.

I invite concerned citizens and elected officials to come, eat lunch in the Gaiser Hall cafeteria, and use the nonplastic utensils we fought to get.

Show the world that this Vancouver cares. Give Clark College more funding.

Kathy Elda Poland

Vancouver

Bigger bridge will bring bigger clogs

With the Interstate-5 bridge project in political confusion, perhaps we can redirect this project. This isn’t a crisis, the old bridges can last but the new bridge will dominate Vancouver for more than a hundred years.

Bigger is not necessarily better. Build it, and we will come in ever greater numbers to clog it up ahead of projections is the norm.

Building this massive upgraded road system is contrary to planning for a future where people live and work in Clark County. Also, when the economy recovers gas prices are bound to rise reducing traffic.

Vancouver has been cut in half by I-5 for decades. Now is a chance to change that. The planned bridge will be a noisy massive concrete structure towering 80 feet over Vancouver, a structure way bigger than the I-205 bridge.

Wouldn’t it be better to come in low and cover most of the road with buildings or park space? Sure you’d have to realign the river shipping channel but this allows for a cheaper, more attractive center structure and a new more efficient railroad bridge.

Right now, desire for a mega-project is driving us to squander this once in many life times opportunity. Please start planning for people rather than cars, trucks and egos.

Dennis Dykes

La Center

Obey speed limits for crosswalks

The law says that near school zones you can only go 20 mph. Our school crossing guards have even been brushed by cars that have gotten too close. Cars have almost hit us crossing across crosswalks.

I think we should have cars slow down, perhaps having hidden police cars to enforce safety.

Tenley Nelsen

Vancouver

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