Pierce County’s Daffodil Festival is a really big deal. It deserves coverage | Opinion
Daffodil Festival
I miss not seeing in The News Tribune coverage about the Daffodil Festival, including the coronation of the Daffodil Queen and the parades throughout four cities in Pierce County.
This year, I learned of the upcoming Grand Floral Parade from a Seattle news radio station. It is sad that this newspaper has chosen — since about 1989 — to pretty much ignore the festival.
Last year, this paper published information about the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, including how to get there and the best route to take to see the flowers a week prior to the event so people could plan ahead. Why don’t you do the same for our very own festival?
Please cover this local good news event that has been a part of our county for nearly nine decades. The high school students who march in the bands and the princesses all work hard and deserve recognition.
Kathleen P. Hetrick, Tacoma
Climate concerns
As a young person, I am deeply concerned about what my future will look like given the climate crisis. It is the top priority concern for me and my friends.
Climate dollars are now coming in from the federal Climate Commitment Act, and I want to ensure these funds are invested wisely to cut climate pollution and center environmental justice.
I urge Washington state Rep. Jake Fey and all state legislators to invest significant funds to replace large, dirty diesel vehicles with zero-emission options. This would include school buses, delivery vans, garbage trucks, semis and other large vehicles that drive through our communities. On top of fueling climate disruption, diesel vehicles spew a lot of toxic pollution that particularly harms kids. It’s one reason why certain communities are overburdened with pollution.
My generation is counting on our leaders to prioritize cleaning up this sector by investing at least $250 million this biennium to clean up large vehicles so they no longer spew toxic pollution.
The stakes are high. We need bold action on climate every legislative session.
Kenzie Knapp, Parkland
Low Income Housing Institute
As someone who found shelter at the Low Income Housing Institute’s Aspen Court, nothing in The News Tribune’s recent story matched my experience, both as a former client and current LIHI employee.
The circumstances that led me to Aspen Court are deeply personal. At the time, my husband and I lived out of our car, and I was deep into my addiction. The anger and hurt from losing my kids to Child Protective Services because of my addiction was overwhelming. Everything changed when I got that call telling us we got into Aspen Court.
Between the staff and support from other residents, I was able to have a safe space. Although I was at my lowest at the time, LIHI staff really made staying at Aspen Court a comforting experience. I was also able to get clean and sober while I was there; I’ve now been sober for nine months and got all five of my kids back from CPS.
LIHI went above and beyond to ensure we were all safe and in good spirits. LIHI found my family housing, and now I have a job with LIHI helping other people in my situation.
LIHI should be praised, not condemned, for its work.
Doreen Taupau, Tacoma
Health priorities
Politicians these days seem to specialize in obsessing about trivialities.
For example, California recently proposed legislation banning red dye No. 3 and several other chemicals in candy. Yet California and many other states continue to legalize the use and cultivation of marijuana, which has been proven to kill brain cells, cause depression in youth, adversely affect unborn babies and deplete the nutrients in the soil.
Politicians also ignore recent research showing that even small amounts of alcohol can cause cancer. I’ve never heard of anyone developing cancer because they ate too many Skittles.
I guess the phrase “pick your poison” is true. It’s more popular to blame red dye No. 3 for all our problems than it is to help people stop drinking and smoking pot.
Beth Woodbury Hart, Puyallup
