Letter writers lobby for Madison school, offer water advice and push for better recycling plan

Please do not close Madison Elementary

Dear Olympia Community,

I am Norman Wall. I am in 2nd grade. I go to Madison. I don’t want Madison to close because there are very nice teachers there. I really like the lunch teacher because she makes yummy pizza and there is a new office lady and I hope it does not close because I want her to learn the kids’ names.

The librarian is my aunt and on Monday’s 2nd graders get to eat in the library at lunch. The librarian tells us stories. She also tells us to check out new books. She also wants us to get a book to read to our parents.

I love my school. Please, please, please don’t close Madison.

Sincerely,

Norman Wall, Olympia

Clean, fresh water is environmental and economic gold

Karen Fraser’s column about the value of freshwater in Thurston County’s future could not have been better said, especially the things about how to make sure we keep it. Her primary focus was on enhancing groundwater recharge by reducing stormwater runoff. I offer here a simple solution to help achieve this goal.

I was an environmental consultant for 25 years doing property review for wetland/stream conditions. Over that time, I reviewed hundreds of lowland properties in Thurston County. One thing I came to understand was that ditches to drain off landscape water were as ubiquitous as crows. They were simply everywhere, especially in flat fields.

The reason for this is two-fold. First, farmers have forever battled to remove water from tillable land so crops don’t drown and implements don’t get stuck in mud. Second, governmental programs that paid landowners to drain land were prevalent in the 1900s which then enticed many to drain anything they could for money including much that shouldn’t have been.

The straightening of small valley stream channels is a mega example of this syndrome, but it wasn’t only the veins that were ditched to maximize drainage — many capillaries were reamed out too. Just as we now restore straightened streams to serpentine channels for salmon benefits, we should begin plugging landscape ditches for groundwater recharge benefits.

Initiating programs that would incentivize landowners to stop-up ditches and slow stormwater runoff might achieve more benefit for groundwater recharge/flood control at minimal cost than anything else that could be done.

Steve Shanewise, Olympia

Rethink recycling: A call to Washington’s legislators

I’m often told that one of the most effective ways to decrease my environmental impact is to recycle and reuse whatever I can. Ever since I moved to Washington, I have been diligently sorting my waste and teaching my first-grader to do the same.

However, I’ve realized that recycling is not as easy as separating and forgetting. Shockingly, less than 20% of plastic packaging is actually recycled, and nearly half of all consumer packaging and paper products end up in landfills or are burned. Moreover, only 58% of households in the state have access to curbside recycling services.

Millions of Washingtonians are willing to help, but much of their efforts are currently going to waste. It is crucial for companies and regulators to take action to improve our recycling system. Packaging producers should be incentivized to consider the end-of-life costs of their products, both financially and environmentally.

I urge legislators to vote in favor of House Bill 2049, which aims to reduce waste and pollution, modernize our recycling system, and ensure that free and accessible recycling services are available to all residents throughout the state.

Ryan Hicks, Lacey