Pig Roast fundraiser a success for Black Diamond
Dear editor, We want to give a big thanks to the community of Black Diamond for their support of the fundraising event held on June. The Hawaiian-themed event, complete with roasted pig, leis and “island” cocktails, raised money to support families needing essential services including food through the summer. Funds will also be used to continue our agency’s support of seniors in our community.
Special thanks to our sponsors; Mutual of Enumclaw, TRM Wood Products, Mary Kay and Black Diamond Recycling. With their financial support, all funds raised go to our clients.
Thank you to those who donated for our raffle; The Smokehouse & More, ACE Hardware, Carpinito Brothers, Colt and Marsha Tetzlaff, Costco, Elsie Parkin, Jay and Jude Irish, Brenda Evenson, Judy Watson, Patricia Moss, and The Loft Salon & Spa.
A special thanks to Justin from Mike Lind’s Meats for dressing and serving the pig.
Volunteers worked so hard to make the evening run smooth. Sandi and Bill Hooper, and Mutual of Enumclaw employees; our cook Jude Irish, Kim Borgen, Devonne Hicks, Rachael Heater and Debbie Snider kept things lively. Regular center volunteers continue to help at events; Ron Brentson, Mary Ann Knarreborg, Barbara Besagno and Melissa Oglesbee. Staff Leslie Johnson, Helen Bittner, Irene Vaughn, with wonderful help from Setheni Kirschnick worked the crowd selling raffle tickets.
Our next fundraising event is our dinner auction on Oct. 12. Call 360-886-1011 for details and tickets.
Thank you all so much!
Sincerely,
Cheryl Hanson
Executive Director of the Black Diamond Community Center
Could Trump make a national monument … on the moon?
Dear editor,
This July 20th marks an important anniversary. Sadly many will allow the day to pass without so much as an understanding of its importance to world history. It marks the date of what many of described as the greatest technological achievement in world history. I’d drop the qualifier technological and call it humanity’s greatest moment, the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Why is this landing so important? Aside from the obvious engineering and technological achievements, for me its the political and societal hurdles that had to be overcome that make it so impressive.
In 1961, President Kennedy challenged the United States to land a human on the moon and return that person safely to Earth before the end of the decade. To us today this seems like a simple goal, easily attainable. Yet it should be remembered that at the time Kennedy issued this challenge, America had only launched one person into space and only for 15 minutes. That’s like someone climbing a local hill and saying within nine years, they would be the first to climb Mount Everest. It’s almost laughable. In fact, going to the moon was as difficult as America’s construction of the Panama Canal or its building the atomic bomb.
And yet, with a clear goal, deadline and political will the impossible happened, America landed not one but 12 people on the moon.
In the 50 years since America’s first landing on the moon, the United States’ space program has languished. Meanwhile, private companies like Space X and countries such as China are ramping up their space efforts. It’s likely people will soon return to the moon.
When that happens, the Apollo lander sites may be at risk of salvage, vandalism or looting. Moreover, these sites are as important to human history as the prehistoric footprints found at Laetoli in Tanzania. As such, they Apollo sites are worthy of federal protection. Many are starting to raise the alarm and need to protect lunar artifacts. But the proposed legal mechanisms take significant time and may come to late to protect this part of human history. However, there are legal options that could be applied more quickly.
In 1906 Congress passed the Antiquities Act which authorizes the President to designate federal property or territory as National Monuments. This property must be of historic or scientific significance. The Apollo landers meet all three of these criteria.
In 1906, President Teddy Roosevelt was the first president to use the Antiquities Act when he made Devil’s Tower in Northeastern Wyoming a national monument. Since then nearly every president has used the Antiquities Act to designate national monuments, many of which later were elevated to national parks.
President Trump has a unique opportunity before him. He can be the first president to designate a national monument on another heavenly body. This would set the precedent of conserving human history, scientific advancement and natural resources off planet earth. With a simple stroke of the pen Trump would be able to place his conservation record among those such as T.R., Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter. Moreover, this designation will commemorate and send the hopeful message that humanity can make great leaps in progress, it just takes clear goals, set deadlines, and political will.
Mr. President please take this opportunity to designate the physical equipment of the six Apollo lander sites as national monuments. These sites should be added to the list of national park sites and jointly managed by the National Park Service and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
If you take this simple action, future generations are certain to thank you for your foresight.
Sincerely,
Sean Smith
Covington
