Are libraries in big trouble?

I was happy to see your Nov. 3 piece (“Library will close during expansion”) that you noticed the King County swells have decided to close an important Federal Way asset for a full year, spend $8.8 million and not add a single book.

I think that is astounding, bordering on the philistine.

Unhappily, this is only an end product of a process I’ve witnessed over the last few years. For some time now, the King County system has been taking thousands of books from this library, and the trend is to remove many, many more. They’ve only just begun. For people who love books and knowledge, it’s a true scandal. If you have a moment, check out the fiction section. Bare shelves are now the norm, and it’s only the beginning. This may be hard to believe, but my conversations with librarians have convinced me that many of the administrators, and even some of the librarians, don’t like books, don’t want them around, feel they “clutter” the library.

Please know, however, this war against books is nationwide, has been going on for some time, and not all librarians and patrons are fools. Some, like you, instinctively understand that libraries must stand fast against the rule of bureaucrats and bean-counters. These highly-evolved, ultra-sophisticated, information holding and dispensing devices — books — are the depository of civilization.

Just think, dream if you can, what a wonderful place Federal Way would be if next year $8.8 million worth of books came to town. The little kids, especially, would be joyous.

James Hamilton, Federal Way

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School board vs. Mr. Hoff

The cartoon about the Federal Way School Board and Charlie Hoff (Opinion, Oct. 31) is a classic.

As a longtime observer of the school board, I note that Hoff is an advocate of academic excellence. The board points to noteworthy student achievements in non-academic activities and basks in this success.

The problem of academic success for our students has not been solved. The school board does not have the expertise to solve this problem. It must depend on the school establishment, the professional educators, for the necessary innovations and initiatives.

John Q. Public, consisting of parents and other taxpayers, has respectfully been very patient. We trust the academic problem will be resolved. Time and tide wait for no man.

John C. Hoskinson, Federal Way

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Ecosystem and eelgrass

A 1995 issue of Alaska Geographic has an excellent article on the eelgrass in Izembek Lagoon, outside Cold Bay. To quote Robert Jones (no relation), who worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Aleutian Islands since 1948:

“Izembek Lagoon produces over 4 million metric tons of organic material a year and that’s all washed into the Bering Sea in the fall. You can break that down into carbon and phosphorus and all the elements that are critical to an ecosystem. Phosphorous is one of the more critical ones and there are 1,500 tons of available phosphorous in the lagoon produced by eelgrass.”

Eelgrass thus feeds the rich ecosystem of the Bering Sea. But first it feeds the vast numbers of waterfowl that gather and migrate through Izembek Lagoon. “Whether it’s geese that feed directly on the leaves, pintails that feed on the invertebrates resident on the eelgrass, it all comes back to that one thing.”

I recently was on a San Juan island. The entire eastern shore was covered with eelgrass as this is the fall season. Soon, it will decay and wash out to sea. In the meantime, it provides nutrients as described in the article on Izembek Lagoon.

To destroy the eelgrass in Dumas Bay will most likely disturb or destroy the ecosystem that exists there now and has for centuries. Before you destroy this eelgrass, please consider what may replace this natural product of Puget Sound.

Does it make sense to destroy a part of the Puget Sound ecosystem?

Robert Jones, Federal Way

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Fall in the Northwest

Recently I had to cancel a trip back east to visit friends and travel to upstate New York to see the turning of the colors of the trees — a beautiful sight to behold.

But what a great surprise when my wife and I drove around Federal Way and saw the beautiful color of the trees in such splendor from the beautiful Celebration Park to the World Vision headquarters and other places in Federal Way. The leaves may not have been as big as back east, but the colors — the reds, yellows, oranges and rust — were just as spectacular.

Gordon Gallagher, Federal Way

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City needs new blood

I have lived in Federal Way for 40 years. The past five years have been the most horrendous.

For years we have tried to get something done about the speeding and loud vehicle noise on 21st Avenue SW. Some residents on adjacent streets even wrote letters to the city and police because they could even hear the noise from speeding cars. But we were always told there weren’t enough police to be out here all the time. But we only asked for 1 to 2 hours a week.

I did see them go to the beach, especially at night. I know there were problems there for years. I knew those former residents and they were great friends and neighbors. My children and grandchildren grew up down there wading in the water and learning to skip rocks. They were always welcome.

Those same children now are grown and running big businesses in the Federal Way area. Now there are 20-plus signs down there telling us to keep away!

Why can’t we get special attention too?!

Then about a year ago last September, the city sent ballots to everyone on 21st Avenue SW north of 312th Street SW and residents within 600 feet of the proposed speed bumps, asking what they wanted to help their street. The outcome was two speed bumps and two speed tables (tables are lower than bumps and you can go faster). You can say that again!

What did our city council do at the next meeting? They changed our votes, and just gave us all the low tables.

So now many drivers continue to speed. What we really wanted were more police patrols, but we had to settle for the tables. About a month ago, a motorcycle officer came out. I was just leaving for my morning walk. As I passed the officer, he said people were complaining that he was out there wasting taxpayers’ money because it was slow and that he felt that he should be down on 320th Street giving tickets. Guess who was complaining as usual? The speeders. I still have an article to The Mirror from a man up the street saying they don’t like traffic controls. They like speeding. Oh my goodness! We too pay taxes for police. When do we get our share? The early one’s out get on their cell phones and call home, neighbors and friends warning that the police are out today. So they go out a different street, and make it look like we don’t have a problem.

How much are those photo cameras? Looks like we need them desperately!

What about the neighborhood around 325th Street SW, just off 21st Avenue SW? The house was overgrown with bushes and trees, had numerous vehicles in the yard, and a motorhome was filled with garbage and rats. It took 14 years for our city to find a way to clean it up.

About 1-2 yrs ago, 192 people in the Twin Lakes area signed a petition that they didn’t want speed bumps. They were put in anyway.

What we really need in Federal Way is a mall where we all would like to shop to leave the money in Federal Way. I cannot shop in a movie theater. Also, Target is a good store, but you can’t get in the back or the side; you have to park out front if you can find a parking space.

I could go on forever but this is already too long. What we really need is new blood on the council who will represent all of us and not just pick a select few. Elections are coming folks, let’s get some new people.

Nancy Combs, Federal Way