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Death is too easy
(Re: “Crime and punishment,” Cover story, March 19.) My best friend is one of these cold cases. She was murdered New Year’s Eve 2002. I do not want her killer to die, but instead have to spend his whole life sitting in prison having to see her face everyday and face what he did to her. Isn’t that the whole point of a criminal being punished? Death to me is the easy way out for those who kill others instead of losing their freedom and having to face their victim, as well as their friends and families whose lives they also have destroyed. I support HB 1274 100 percent.
Jennifer Nelson/via Internet
The envy of males
(Re: “The sound of silence,” Buzz, March 19.) Great piece on Steve DiCesare and Wide Mouth Grin. I grew up with Steve and Mark, and Steve has always heard things nobody else was hearing. He’s an inspiration to all, and his bromance with Mark should be the envy of males everywhere. Well reported and well written, Mr. Krider.
Mike Malone/New York, NY
Support NNPT nations
(Re: “Don’t let Iran go nuclear,” Letters, March 5.) In response to last week’s letter regarding the Iranian nuclear program, I would like to remind your readers that Iran has signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. This treaty was created 37 years ago and 188 nations are members of it. At the time it was created there were five nuclear powers: the U.S., Russia, China, England and France.
Now there are four more nuclear states: India, Pakistan and Israel — none of which ever signed the treaty — and North Korea, which recently withdrew from the treaty. The treaty says that non-nuclear member-countries may install nuclear power plants for peaceful and scientific purposes (such as providing energy for their people).
Iran is totally within its rights to build as many nuclear power plants as possible. In the George Bush era, he and Dick Cheney chose to disregard numerous treaties and agreements that we had signed, including, most shamefully, the Geneva Convention. As the most powerful nation, we have a responsibility to be true to our word. Otherwise, we are just liars, hypocrites and bullies. We should support any nation that has signed the NNPT to pursue nuclear power through building power plants. I am sure Paul Danish agrees with me, because he is such a huge supporter of the benefits of nuclear power in general.
Matt Connell/Boulder
Slope corrections
(Re: “Slope ennui,” Elevation, March 19.) The sentence, “Bell Mountain… now served by a swanky gondola…” made me smile. The initial Silver Queen gondola opened in 1986 and was at the time the world’s longest single-stage gondola. The current “swanky” cars were put into service in 2006. “Now” might not be the best word in this context. Stein isn’t Erickson but Eriksen, Pirmin is Zurbriggen, not Zubriggen, and Stenmark is Ingemar, not Ingmar. Trivial perhaps, especially since I enjoyed the spirit of the piece if not its accuracy.
Claire Walter/via Internet
Promises, promises
On March 3, the County Commissioners decided to break the sacred trust of open space. They rationalized that it was just a small nick, one intended for the greater good. But that nick is actually a gash that rips to the heart of the protection Boulder County residents expect for their open space land. Boulder County wants to amend the Intergovernmental Agreement signed between it and the Town of Nederland regarding the Mud Lake Open Space property. Their goal: locate a noise and air polluting, heavy industrial forestry processing and sort yard facility on Mud Lake Open Space.
The fundamental issue is: What does Open Space mean to the people of Boulder County? Creating the precedent of clear-cutting up to 5 acres of land for an industrial facility on open space is dangerous. A picnic table placed on open space would likely raise hackles. But a multi-acre, industrial processing plant? This decision undermines the very foundation of the agreement Boulder County made to its citizens regarding Open Space, i.e., to protect both nature and the community from further development.
The argument has been made that this use is more important than open space. We would argue that no use trumps open space. If necessary, put a temporary site on county property already cleared and continue the search for a better, permanent site. There is a county maintenance shed not too far from this location. If the county feels that the processing plant is so vital that it is willing to sacrifice the Open Space covenant, it is surely more important than a maintenance shed, right? Why not put the facility there?
On Tuesday, March 31, at 7 p.m., the Nederland Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing at the Nederland Community Center to decide whether or not to agree with the county on the placement of the facility. They have the veto power on this issue because it concerns land the town so thoughtfully donated to Boulder County years ago. The town is under considerable pressure to acquiesce to the county’s request. In this shaky economy, the town’s budget is strained past the breaking point. The Board of Trustees may choose to make a deal with the devil to extricate itself from other financial commitments made to the county.
Despite the politics and history swirling around this situation, the underlying question still remains, quietly trying to be heard. What does Open Space mean to us? Tell them what it means to you. Attend the Board of Trustees meeting. If you cannot attend, email your comments to the Nederland Town Clerk at christi@town.nederland.co.us. It is the right thing to do.
David Ruskay and Stephen Whinston/Nederland
Iraq and AIG
Six years ago, President Bush sounded the alarm, “Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. Invade now.” We did, and now we’d like to leave, but how? Bush’s recklessness consigned his successor to the awful choice of cutting our losses and risking chaos, or stay in the mire indefinitely.
Six months ago, President Bush sounded the alarm, “AIG is too big to fail. Give me $700 billion now.” We did, but we wish we could take it back and let the buzzards go bankrupt like the rest of us. But how? Bush’s recklessness consigned his successor to the awful choice of cutting our losses and risking chaos, or stay in the mire indefinitely.
Candy Delacourte/via Internet
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