Oct. 18 Letters to the editor

The ash borer is coming

The spectacular white ash trees of downtown Pullman are a treasure that we should consider saving. They are shade and drought tolerant, provide copious shade and put on an amazing fall display. However, they do have an Achilles’ heel that must be considered.

The emerald ash borer is a wood-boring beetle that attacks and kills ash trees. Millions of ash trees in North America have been killed by this pest of Asian origin. It is not yet established in Washington nor Idaho; however, it was recently found near Portland, Ore. A long history of invasive pests and plant diseases wiping out native North American tree species includes Dutch elm disease and chestnut blight. These diseases have killed virtually all American elm and American chestnut trees in the U.S. Growing up in the Midwest in the 1960s, I vividly remember the vase shaped elm skeletons still standing, and the chestnut stumps futilely sending up fresh shoots every Spring, only to eventually succumb. A few elms and chestnuts persisted or even still survive in isolated pockets across the country, including Moscow. The University of Idaho finally removed four remaining American elms in the last few years due to Dutch elm disease, and I am not aware of any others in Moscow. Currently, there are still a few remaining American chestnut trees on campus.

The ash borer is coming for Pullman’s downtown trees, although it is difficult to predict when. However, the insect did travel across the country at a rate of 100 miles/year, aided in its dispersal by humans moving infested material. If the trees are preserved, the ash borer will likely shorten their life span. If they are removed, they should be replaced with a diversity of trees that are not susceptible to a known invasive pest or plant disease.

Al Poplawsky

Moscow

Different views not scary

As I sit at my kitchen table today looking at my absentee ballot, I see two names, Clyde and Kersting-Lark. I reflect on the past 4-5 months of making a decision to volunteer my time if elected to the Moscow School Board, making flyers, yard signs and answering questions at forums and with community members and meeting Dulce in person.

From my perspective, Dulce and I probably have more in common than not. That is true across the board of our community, nation and world. School board members are elected to represent the community values, views and the desire for the best educational outcome for all children. Currently, our school board consists of five individuals that appear to be in lock step with each other, which from the perspective of time spent debating items, this is advantageous for time management, but is it a true representation of our community’s views? Having board members that may occasionally have different views is not evil, not scary, but healthy.

We need to be able to listen more to people we don’t maybe agree with, not label them into a category so that they can then be dismissed, debate civilly, agree to disagree, but truly hear what they have to say and why they feel that way.

As a potential school board member for Moscow School District #281 Zone 3, I will work hard to listen and learn from other school board members, strive to communicate effectively with teachers, administration and students and add additional perspective to the current homogenous school board. I fill in the circle, Clyde.

Gay Lynn Clyde

Moscow

Pullman’s groupthink crisis

Groupthink refers to a decision-making style that values consensus over thoughtful analysis. In Pullman, contemporary examples of groupthink are evident in the Pullman City Council’s fiasco surrounding the end-racism mural, and now in the steamrolling by a consensus-driven council of their downtown plan onto our Main Street.

Groupthink by six of Pullman’s council members offers an illusion of invulnerability, safety in conformity and a sense of superiority. However, the cost of groupthink is the inability to see other solutions, a paucity of critical analysis, grossly overconfident decisions, lack of preparation for negative consequences, disregard of important information, suppression of innovative solutions, blindness to creative problem solving and a recalcitrance to simultaneously seek additional grant funds to avoid saddling taxpayers with the inevitable cost overrun downtown.

I’ve witnessed city council disregard experts, insult dissenting residents of all ages, prevaricate, and play-act expertise they do not possess. Nathan Weller seems to be the sole council member who listens, integrates differing views, and votes his convictions on how Pullman’s federal American Rescue Plan Act money will be spent — courageous in an environment of consensus-pressuring majority groupthink.

Voting for new city representation will protect us from the pitfall of conformist decision-making moving forward. We need fresh leadership perspectives to be nimble and ready for challenges.

Elect Deb McNeil for mayor. The fact that she is not a council member is an important leadership strength. At least since 1976, when Karen Kiessling was voted into office, Pullman’s mayors have not been pulled from the ranks of city council.

Deb McNeil will avoid future groupthink by rewarding innovation, valuing dissenting voices, diversifying decision-making, and promoting transparency to reach Pullman’s best future.

Pamela Lee

Pullman

Prayers of peace, hope

A message from the Moscow Interfaith Association including representatives of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Palouse, the Jewish Community of the Palouse, Christian Science Society, Lutheran Campus Ministry at the University of Idaho and Washington State University:

The horrific conflict in Israel and Gaza is at the center of the world’s attention, inciting and fueling antisemitic, anti-Islamic, and other hateful sentiments and actions. We, the members of the Moscow Interfaith Association, mourn for those whose lives have been lost, for those who have lost friends and family, and for all whose lives are affected by this war. We stand with and support the Jewish and Islamic members of our community. We stand with the people of Israel and Palestine who deserve to live in safety, freedom and peace. We recognize and support courageous peacemakers on the ground throughout the Middle East, as well as individuals and groups that are responding to the immediate needs of those who are suffering.

We unite in prayers for peace, hope, and resolution, and encourage all members of our community to show care, compassion and kindness to each other.

Mary Beth Rivetti

Nancy Holmes

Moscow

Correcting my column

I wanted to issue a correction to my column in the Oct. 14 Daily News. Dulce Kersting-Lark graduated from Washington State University, not the University of Idaho. Acquaintances have also suggested that I missed the mark on some candidates; my impressions were based on the League of Women Voters and Moscow Education Association forums, as well as the scant information about each candidate available online. If anybody has additional information relevant to Moscow voters that I missed, I hope they’ll take the time to write a letter to the paper and fill those gaps.

Ryan Urie

Moscow