Letters to the editor: Heroes Trail, growth, health board, Devil’s Corral, vaccine information
Heroes Trail
The new Heroes Trail is open! This wonderful addition to the Foothills trail system in Boise starts in the far corner of the VA hospital parking lot and winds over to the Military Reserve system.
Last week I rode my bicycle on the Heroes Trail for the first time and felt a wave of emotion as I thought of all the heroes in our town this trail honors — from brave veterans and men and women currently in the armed services to the heroes in schools, grocery stores, hospitals, day care and nursing home facilities who kept the lights on during the dark days of the COVID pandemic.
We in Boise are blessed to have the foothill trail system set aside so all citizens can enjoy some time in nature close to home. Boise proposes using open space levy funds to buy 29 more acres in the northwest foothills between Seaman’s Gulch and Polecat Reserve. Let’s encourage our City Council members to acquire this land. The 29 acres will enhance trail connections and protect important wildlife habitat in the Foothills.
Kayla Dodson, Boise
Growth and density
The court decision in favor of the Prominence developer over the North West Neighborhood Association is one more nail in the coffin of Boise’s status as a jewel of a city and a great place to live. Again and again, the confluence of the greed of developers, the addiction of local politicians to ever more tax revenue, and the misplaced, utopian ideas of adherents of he cult of Net Zero and “density,” none of whom live near the affected area, triumph over the desires and lifestyles of the people who have built lives, raised families and invested their life savings there.
As a teenager in the 1960s, I fell in love with Denver, only to see it turn into just another polluted, traffic-clogged city. So I eventually settled in Phoenix in 1979 and watched it follow the same relentless path from beauty to urban pollution, congestion and crime. We moved to Boise seven years ago and have loved living here, but it is truly sad watching it, too, dragged down the same path.
The growth and “density” zealots and the judges who enable them, neither consider nor care about the people whose lives they degrade. It is truly shameful.
Stephen D. Leonard, Boise
Health board
We now have individuals on Central District Health that apparently do not care about health and the safety of the community. Welcome to the Republican “death panel.” Dr. Cole feels the vaccine is “needle rape,” despite the science and the fact that 95% of hospitalized COVID patients are unvaccinated. Instead, he promotes the use of horse dewormer to treat the disease! Raul Labrador feels that masks are unnecessary. Rod Beck thinks only in terms of personal responsibility. We are now out of ICU beds in Idaho! Look at the cost of this disease in deaths, permanent disability and strain on the entire health care system.
Patti Marshall, Boise
Ryan Cole
Regarding Dr. Ryan Cole’s appointment to the Central District Health Board, his misleading and irresponsible remarks about COVID-19, and his clear conflict of interest should be noted by the Idaho Medical Board. His actions appear to be below the standard of care and warrant an investigation by the Board.
William Miller, MD, Bellevue
Devil’s Corral
Gov. Little, looking for somewhere to spend a portion of the state’s record surplus dollars? Look no further than the Devil’s Corral, a 200-acre unique piece of landscape along the Snake River still pretty much in its natural state — spectacular panoramas, abundant wildlif, and restorative solitude. It’s an area that truly belongs in the public domain. It’s being offered at auction, and if it goes to a developer, all its intrinsic values will be evermore lost to the vast majority of Idahoans. Any resort/residential/commercial development will forever mar the magnificence of its vistas, be an ugly blot on its naturalness and destroy the peace and tranquility that so many true Idahoans cherish. Shut down the auction! Buy it now! Preserve its value! Fold it into the state’s park system, where the only development would be hiking and biking trails, scenic overlooks and other day use amenities. Current and future generations of Idahoans will be appreciative and eternally grateful.
James Miller, Boise
More information on COVID-19
Stories recently in both the Idaho Statesman and the Lewiston Tribune cut to the chase. While some want to keep pushing the idea that vaccine hesitancy is fueled by selfishness and lack of trust in our government, these stories tell another side. Maybe people just don’t have the information they need to make an informed decision. What if we could get hospitals to start reporting some of the data that folks want?
How many of those new COVID cases had been vaccinated (and with which brand) and how many had been diagnosed with COVID before? How many new COVID patients who were hospitalized were vaccinated (and with which brand) and how many were diagnosed with COVID before? In new COVID diagnoses and hospitalizations, are there underlying health issues present?
We know something for sure. The current strategy of trying to scare or guilt people into getting the vaccine is not working. Misinformation comes from a lack of information. Let’s switch it up and start giving real numbers folks can use to take a reasoned approach to determining whether the vaccine is the best choice for their health.
Skip Brandt, Kooskia, Idaho County commissioner
Public health districts
The state of Idaho must strip from the seven health districts the role of decision maker for pandemics and other medical conditions that are so contagious and deadly. With county commissioners voting for health district members such as “Dr.” Cole, who has forgotten “first, do no harm,” and Raul Labrador, we are not seeing the best minds making life and death decisions for their districts, or more importantly, for Idaho.
The responsibility for the life and death decisions that impact our children, our elderly and our economy need to be raised to the level of state governance.
Deborah Hennessy, Boise