Loved Oklahoma!
Dear Editor:
I would like to give a shout out to Nadine Van Hees, her cast and crew and the Methow Valley Community Theater who put on a wonderfully entertaining evening of Oklahoma! Kudos to Nadine, who attracted the talent, and above all their dedication and commitment for two-and-a-half months or more to bring an outstanding performance to the community while overcoming many obstacles.
I am already looking forward to another musical or full production play next year, hopefully. Our community is so fortunate. This is one of the many experiences that makes living in the Methow such a joy. I’m still singing or whistling, off key, many of the tunes
Gay Northrup, Winthrop
Some hope
Dear Editor:
Re: environmentalists and forest fire budgets. There’s plenty of blame to go around, but both political extremes are slowly learning. I recall many encounters with sincere but poorly informed environmentalists, who used to not understand fire intensity and fuel loading. Many, but unfortunately not all, are beginning to get it.
At the opposite end of the political spectrum, Republicans are finally getting legislation through to increase prescribed burning. That’s just a good start. However, only smoke jumpers, like I was in 1960 and ’61, get anything close to adequate training. During my long career since then in our national parks and forests, the shameful under-funding and under-training of ground forces was painfully apparent.
Encouraging to me is the interest shown in Timothy Egan’s book, The Big Burn. It’s one of the best histories of the national forests I’ve ever read. Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt were up against the same kind of ignorant and corrupt political forces that Obama is today. Egan’s now on book club lists, so there’s hope.
Eric Burr, Lost River
