March 19, 2024
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Liberty Lake, WA 99019
Phone: 509-242-7752
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Letters to the Editor
12/29/2014 2:52:21 PM

Fire extinguisher lesson learned
I get home from work, mind wandering through the day, thinking of maybe having a beer. Get out of the truck, hear a girl talking loudly - "Get here fast. I'm home alone! Hurry!" 

I go across the street and see her on the phone with 911. She is hysterical. I hear the word "fire"! 

I go in the front door thinking a pot on the stove is on fire. The pot on the stove IS on fire, the stove IS on fire, the microwave above it IS on fire, the side of the fridge IS on fire, the cabinets ARE on fire!

The adrenaline starts pumping. The fire extinguisher under my kitchen sink pops into my head. I run my 270 pounds across the street - a feat I'm still wondering about - through the front door of my house, family all enjoying dinner. I grab the extinguisher and take back off with a yell, "Grab some fire extinguishers!" 

Back across the street and into the house afire. The flames, alive; I see them colorful, beautiful, blue, yellow, orange, licking the cabinets, feeding on the fuel. I point my weapon and pull the trigger. The pot fire dies, the microwave fire dies, the cabinet fire dies. The microwave starts burning again; I pull the trigger. I'm out of ammo! 

I turn to leave and meet my daughter's boyfriend at the door; he has more ammo. Pull the pin, pull the trigger, nothing - it's dead! I turn around; there's my daughter with another ammo can. I pull the pin and trigger; this time, success! All fires out. 

The smoke is thick, black - so thick you can't see past the front door. Wife and daughter are caring for the girl. Where's the fire department? We wait what seems like forever. 

Then the lights start coming, and coming and coming! The firemen do their thing - assess, evaluate, ventilate. I find out that from the time of the call to firemen on scene was five minutes. Seemed like a lifetime to me! 

All I can do is thank the department for their wonderful response. My wife says this weekend we are getting more extinguishers and making sure alarms are working in our own home. I think this time I will get more than two extinguishers, and I will make sure they are in good shape.

Randy Walker
Liberty Lake

Vandalized nativity reveals need for the featured baby
My husband and I took great pleasure in setting up a nativity set in our front lawn. Little children, including our grandchildren, would tell us how much they enjoyed the display. 

On Dec. 20, someone vandalized the scene, tearing it apart. 

I just want to say to the person or persons who did this that our dear child Jesus loves you very much, and I suspect you do not know him but need him.

Terry Lundrigan
Liberty Lake

Liberty Lake raising visibility for pancreatic cancer
It is unacceptable that there is a cancer for which the relative five-year survival rate is still in the single digits at just 6 percent, particularly when you consider that the overall five-year relative survival for all cancers is now 68 percent. Even more alarming, pancreatic cancer is anticipated to move from the fourth to the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. by 2020. This year alone, this terrible disease will claim the lives of 880 people who live in the state of Washington.

Pancreatic cancer patients and their loved ones cannot wait any longer. It is essential that we make research into pancreatic cancer a priority in this country so that real progress can be made toward better treatment options, early detection and a cure.

I am a volunteer for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and am grateful to the city of Liberty Lake for passing an awareness proclamation that recognized November as National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.   

The proclamation will also raise awareness about this devastating disease and encourage our elected officials to make fighting pancreatic cancer a priority. We must support our fellow citizens who have been afflicted by this disease and advocate for greater awareness and more resources to fight pancreatic cancer. 

Evelyn Torkelson 
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network

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