Board chairman should resign

Dear Gary,

Your opinion piece in the most recent edition of the Gazette-Tribune brought up a valid point regarding the Oroville School board and chairperson Mr. Phil Barker in particular.

Attending the meetings this year a number of things are quite evident: Mr. Barker is ignorant of the role of the school board, Mr. Barker is ignorant of his role as a board member, Mr. Barker arrives unprepared to the school board meetings as evidenced by the questions he asks that would be answered if he read his packet.

He seems to have a personal agenda, which is counter productive to the business of the school board. After the March 26 school board meeting he commented to somebody that he “was bloodied but undeterred”. This makes me want to know exactly what he’s determined to do.

Is it appropriate for Mr. Barker to hold covert meetings and conversations that are not within the scope of a school board member? I believe that Mr. Barker is a lawsuit waiting to happen. I hope the district has a good liability policy to protect the other board members from his activities.

If Mr. Barker really cares about the school district, the staff, the kids and the community he would resign from the board immediately. His actions are a disgraceful embarrassment to the school board and the community and must come to a stop.

Yours truly, a concerned citizen,

Richard Solberg

Oroville

Need the true energy costs

Dear Gary,

Coal companies want to mine coal in Montana and Wyoming and ship it through Idaho, Washington State and Oregon to be burned in power plants located mainly in China.

Money goes largely to the big mine owners (Who knows how many jobs-maybe a lot.), but the pollution goes to the planet and a lot of it to the states the big diesel trains would pull it through. Where is that cost reflected? Until the cost of energy reflects the true cost, the people on the planet and the planet Earth itself will continue to see the future darken.

Rob Thompson

Tonasket

Love always overcomes evil

Dear Gary

I read your editorial in March 22 issue. You spoke of former Principal Frank Motto being killed by a teen. I was sad to hear about it. So much violence and evil! I must say that the evil was stronger than that teen. You see there is an enemy who is out to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). This happens everywhere.

I’ve met women in my journey who are spending life sentences due to their choices. Choices that were controlled by an evil they did not understand. One gal in particular that I remember was driving and texting threatening suicide in her texts when she hit a family. A woman who was pregnant and a five-year old son were all killed. This gal was 16. Convicted of deliberate homicide, life in prison. She came to the adult unit on her 18th birthday. How many of us drive and text? How many have teens and half of us don’t even know where they are most the time? Many teens don’t even have parents. Their families are the ones they find on the streets. We call them gangs, to them that’s the only family they’ve got. To shoot and kill is nothing much to some people. After all they are well programmed. Games we put in our kids’ stockings!

I saw something in a five-year-old little girl one time while babysitting a few years back. She was playing Grand Theft Auto. Her mom said she could play it good. Anyway, this little child was hitting the pedestrians in this game. She got extra points for killing cops. I turned it off when I realized how sick this game was. When you watch a child kill in a game and not even flinch! That’s scary. She’s God’s child! Since I witnessed that I’ve been an advocate against these video games.

I don’t know much about why anyone would do such a violent act. What I do know is there is a force behind that teen who shed innocent blood. Mr. Motta is with Christ now. As far as that little boy? Well, his life has been taken and I believe was taken years before he killed. I pray for this young boy’s soul. I hope others will have it in their heart to do the same. It takes in cases like these, looking beyond our own sight and looking through the eyes of Jesus.

I’m grateful I never killed anyone when drinking and driving. I’ve spoken with many women who are in prison for life for homicide and they all have said, “I can never take back what I’ve done. I only pray for God’s mercy and tell others there is another way.” I’m glad for this journey I’m on because I have found freedom in the spirit of truth. I see through Jesus’ eyes and I have hope.

Community it seems easy to be angry at times like these. Please don’t be bitter for bitterness will eat at you like cancer. Don’t murder your own soul. Find a way to love even in times such as these. Reach out to the lost and those in prison. You will find freedom in doing so.

My heart goes out to the families. My heart goes out to everyone. I pray for my community to come together as one and that you all will reach out with love. Love always overcomes evil. I leave you with this:

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my fathers hand.”

God bless you,

His servant,

Sabrina Rounds

Missoula, Mont.

On the path to wisdom

Dear Editor,

The possession of wisdom allows one to perceive the miraculous in the common. Devotion, simplicity and truth unfold from the depths of wisdom.

We are brought to a quest to seek the solitary presence of nature, the trees, the wildlife, the sounds, the cleaner air, the peacefulness.

Our self-image begins to improve, and the state of our nation and all of humanity begins to shine once again.

All the we have now is our responsibility to share with those who will listen. In essence, we have become radiant to those who can see deeply.

Let us stay the course while on the path to wisdom and the number of people who may be pointed in the right direction by ourselves will become invaluable over a lifetime.

Ray Gattavara

Auburn, Wash.