Letters

Innis Arden

Club has never been in violation of the law

During the July 24 City Council discussion of a proposed ordinance concerning hazardous tree removal, Deputy Mayor Maggie Fimia accused the Innis Arden Club of “abusing the existing laws” by cutting allegedly hazardous trees for views. Fimia’s assertions in this regard are incorrect.

By way of background, the Board of Directors of the Innis Arden Club is elected to manage community affairs, including its reserve tracts. These tracts encompass approximately 52 acres and thousands of trees. The reserves were established by the developers of Innis Arden as park-like areas. Residents use the trails in the reserves to walk from street to street as there are no sidewalks. Stewardship of these tracts represents a substantial responsibility of the Innis Arden Club Board, and one which must be carried out consistent with the intent of the community’s covenants.

The club has engaged qualified consulting arborists to review each of the reserve tracts and identify potential hazard trees using a standard form approved by the International Society of Arborists, an organization whose materials the city itself has endorsed in various regulatory provisions. This work, also conducted at substantial expense to the club, resulted in identifying of a number of hazard trees for which removal was recommended under the prior exemption provision of the code. The club removed and/or pruned such trees only after it provided city staff with the ISA forms. Where trees have been removed, the club’s policy has been to replant using native trees recommended by its consulting arborists.

On May 4, 2004, the city sought to penalize the club $16,500 for removal of 18 failing hazard trees which the city claimed were improperly removed (based upon “anonymous” complaints). The city additionally sought potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in mitigation fees. The club incurred considerable expense in proving to the city that all these trees were dead or dying and posed significant risks to public health and safety. The city thereafter rescinded its action on July 29, 2004, acknowledging that the club was in compliance with the code.

The club has always acted within the spirit and letter of the law, Fimia’s comments notwithstanding.

MICHAEL L. JACOBS

President, Innis Arden Club

Schools

Writer doesn’t understand education

I read the letter “Teachers have plenty of time and pay,” signed by one of your frequent contributors, Nick Schultz, Lake Forest Park. I found his letter to be very similar to most of his other letters to your paper … always negative.

It seems to me he doesn’t have a clue about public education or what goes on inside the school house. I worked for many years as a commercial fisherman in Alaska. I put in long hours, worked very hard physically, was well-paid for my labor and time, but I made more money in a short session than most teachers make in a school year. And I was not responsible for helping young people prepare for their future. I was not required to take the place of an absent or indifferent parent and I was not expected to show up on the job at 7:30 a.m. and leave at 3:30 p.m.

Since I retired several years ago, I have served as a volunteer tutor at the high school and elementary school level in the Edmonds School District. I have been working at the elementary level for the past six years, so I have a good idea about what teachers are doing in terms of time put in and what they are worth in terms of compensation.

Mr. Schultz is so out of touch with the real world I am surprised that he is willing to write a letter about something he apparently has no knowledge of and has the courage to sign his name to the letter.

For example, he asks: “How many hours per school day are teachers required to be on the premises? How many of those hours are they required in the classroom teaching?” Like the rest of his letter, he asks questions, but offers no evidence to support his thesis.

As a classroom volunteer, I see what goes on in the schoolhouse and the classroom. Most of the teachers I have worked with put in almost twice the time preparing, researching, correcting papers, contacting parents and counseling kids as they put into teaching in the classroom. A good teacher doesn’t just walk into the classroom unprepared for the lessons to be taught.

DON HOLMES

Edmonds

Response didn’t answer questions

In my letter of July 28 regarding Shoreline District teachers, I asked 14 specific factual questions relating to their jobs. In reply to my letter, former Shoreline teachers union president Ed Osborn answered none of them, invoking instead apple pie, sainthood and teacher blood, sweat and tears. Liberally meshed of course within a not too subtle personal attack on me. Obviously it is sound and successful bargaining tactics for teacher union leadership to avoid facts and play to the emotional heartstrings of the public. Mr. Osborn seems unaware that there are any number of difficult, demanding, stressful jobs or careers in our society requiring specialized skills, talents and efforts, but lacking the psychological cloud associated with teaching our children.

Or is it possible he just takes advantage of this built-in emotional factor?

NICK SCHULTZ

Lake Forest Park