Board stability matters
As a spouse of one of the Moscow School Board candidates, I was going to keep my mouth shut. But the recent letter, ‘The status quo must go,” was too much.
Moscow is fortunate to have a stable, compatible school board. It is probably the envy of many communities where there is discord and divisiveness. In fact, there is research that shows a correlation between stable, student-focused school boards and positive student outcomes. For example, a study in Washington State reported a statistically significant relationship between increasing board turnover and declining achievement scores; while low board turnover was associated with higher student achievement.
The Texas Association of School Boards cites research that found that “politically motivated turnover on school boards corresponds with decreased student achievement.” The Texas article concludes, “Bottom line; the strength and stability of the school board affect student performance. It’s more important than ever that school boards not only focus on district and student goals and performance, but also turn inward to ensure board stability and effective governance.”
Unlike what was portrayed in the letter, Moscow’s incumbent trustees are open to community involvement whenever allowed by policy and law. They are extremely student-focused, which I believe contributes to Moscow’s students having achievement scores above both Idaho and national averages. The current members of the board regularly attend training workshops to continue their own education, they study issues carefully, and they do try to think “outside the box” when it can benefit the schools in our community. Again, contrary to the letter, they have considered and continue to look for collaborative opportunities to address the pressing need for facility upgrades.
Jim Fazio
Moscow
Holmes for Moscow
I’ve known Evan and Nancy Holmes through volunteering with the Latah County Democrats, going to school and playing soccer with their son, Colin, and via pass-by catchups many, many times over the past two decades or more. They love this community. The thing that strikes me most about Evan is his knowledge of the history of this city, as well as his continued interest in doing what’s right.
Whether it’s with respect to ecological conservation, water rights, residential development, I wholeheartedly trust that Evan has Moscow’s best interests in his heart and will always allow experts to provide their input when necessary and most appropriate. He will show up to every meeting educated and prepared, yet open-minded and sympathetic to concerns. These qualities, among many, are why I advocate for his election to Moscow’s City Council. Please vote for Evan Holmes on or before Nov. 7. Thank you for running, Evan.
Sage Francetich
Moscow
The downtown improvement bid
It appears that the majority of the people in Pullman want the downtown trees to remain. Most of the articles in your newspaper seem to be people trying to give rationalization to killing the trees. It would make sense to put this bid process off until after the next election, as this is a very important matter that outgoing incumbents should not be involved in.
Clara Morrison
Pullman
Norman Rockwell moment
I have attended the University of Idaho Homecoming parades since 1963. At 78, my participation required the use of a folding chair this year. My chair got me off my feet at Third and Main streets.
Thanks to all the bands who marched. Every band member should be applauded for their discipline and performance as musicians. I wish to honor them for making a Sunday a moment to remember, a Norman Rockwell moment: The Vandal Marching Band; Genesee Junior High School/High School; Moscow High School; Orofino High School, St. Maries; Kellogg High School, Asotin Middle School/High School; Vandal Alumni Marching Band, Moscow Middle School; Sacajawea Middle School; Jenifer Middle School; and Lincoln Middle School.
The parade was also made up of floats by fraternities, sororities, service clubs, commercial floats, huge farm machines, horses, performers and law students from the UI Law School and a happy, energized crowd who covered Main Street from D to Sixth streets.
From my folding chair, the behavior of mothers caught my attention. They controlled the behavior of their little ones. These small candy bandits surged forward to catch candy without regard to the danger that huge farm machinery posed. Moms were there to pull them back to a safe place over and over again. This interaction reminded me of the paintings of Rockwell, who’s art appeared for five decades in the Washington Post and other tabloids. Rockwell captured the simplicity, beauty and elegance of the American people, especially children.
In our troubled world my moment on Main Street was a powerful reminder of what is right with America. My thanks to parents who are truly guardians of our future. Our shared wish for a better world can always be renewed even on a street corner, USA.
Stan Smith
Viola
Freight and the Snake
Located at the upper reach of lower Snake River barge navigation, Clearwater Paper imports chemicals and exports paper products by rail. Idaho Forest Group ships lumber by rail. Ingredients for fertilizer arrive by rail, and dry peas, lentils and garbanzos leave by rail. During extended closures of the lower Snake waterway, wheat is sometimes shipped by rail.
The Great Northwest Railroad, located beside the lower Snake, connects the ports of Lewiston and Wilma with BNSF and UP Railroads. The Port of Wilma has unit-train capacity, as could the Port of Lewiston.
The Army Corps of Engineers and Bonneville Power Administration, with their 2020 CRSO Environmental Impact Statement, deceived the public when they asserted that if lower Snake River barging ceased, all wheat now trucked to Wilma and Lewiston would be trucked an additional 64 miles one way to the McCoy or Endicott unit-train loaders. The federal agencies further claimed wheat transported to these unit train loaders would be hauled in semi-trucks with a capacity of 26,000 pounds rather than the commonly used truck/trailer configurations that carry 65,000 pounds. The federal partners clearly wished to demonstrate, falsely, that loss of barging on the lower Snake would greatly increase freight transportation costs, greenhouse gas emissions, highway wear and tear, etc.
Since 2000, freight volume on the lower Snake has declined by 70%. Last year the state of Washington budgeted $5 million to study how remaining Snake River freight could be shifted to other modes, with the logical alternative being rail. Reliance on transportation data in the federal EIS would contaminate the Washington State study results. Further, any assumption that no freight now barged would travel by rail on the Great Northwest Railroad would make the study worthless and destroy the opportunity to greatly improve the region’s transportation infrastructure.
Linwood Laughy
Moscow
