Letters to the editor

The face of HIV/AIDS

Thank you so much for sharing this amazing story ("Sanctuary," Aug. 28). Wow, HIV/AIDS is so real and it impacts all of us one way or another. I believe we have yet to see how much it impacts us in the African-American community, and that's what frightens me the most. I admire and applaud ministers Reginald (Diggs) and Mary (Diggs-Hobson) who have devoted their lives to building sanctuaries and awareness, locally and abroad, around this pressing pandemic.

I pray that stories like this will continue to be a priority for The Seattle Times. Yes, the face of HIV/AIDS has changed; the color is black.

Yalonda Gill, Bellevue

More on front-loaders

I read your article on "Fashion Forward" by David Berger (Northwest Living, Sept. 4). I thought I would inform you that Speed Queen offers two front-load washers that have 35-minute regular wash cycles. The models are the CTS90AWN and the ATS90AWN. Both washers are built by Alliance Laundry Systems in their commercial plants, although both are for home laundry use and include Speed Queen's two-year parts and labor warranty.

Gary Dickson, Tri State Distributors

A sensitive matter

As a recently inspired gardener (as opposed to mowing the lawn and picking strawberries), I have looked forward to your articles in Pacific Northwest magazine. As a wetlands ecologist for the past 30 years, however, I found many of the elements of ("A Bog Reborn," Plant Life, July 10) disturbing. First, the area in question was not a "swamp" — a swamp is dominated by trees, not meadow grass (of which, BTW, according to Hitchcock and Cronquist, the only species in the Pacific Northwest with that common name is the non-native Poa palustris). Second, not only are wetlands rare and delicate native ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest, if the site was truly a bog it was one of the rarest and most delicate of wetlands.

Third, "filling in the mucky mess" could violate federal, state and local statutes providing for protection of wetlands ecosystems. Finally, I hope this article does not encourage others to dramatically alter protected native ecosystems and introduce non-native plant species, even if the result is aesthetically pleasing.

I remain an avid reader, but hope that in the future you will be more cautious in how you characterize the disturbance of sensitive native ecosystems.

Marc Boulé, Seattle

On the invasive-plant front

Pleased to read your article continuing to highlight the serious problem of invasive plants (Plant Life, "Flora Non Grata," July 24).

We were distressed to learn some nurseries refuse to support the Washington Invasive Species Coalition. And to the extent that we can identify them, we choose not to do business with any nursery or grower who refuses to take a responsible position on the problem.

Our first choice would be to have a list of those who do not support these efforts . . . You know, post it on the dashboard of our truck, never visit those folks again . . .

On the other hand, is there any effort to provide nurseries and growers with conspicuous signs to be posted identifying them as refusing to sell invasive plants? That they offer alternatives, etc. To provide sellers with short statements that can be incorporated into their advertising? Their Web sites? Their direct mail?

. . . Now back to that list of bad guys that we can put in our truck . . .

Jan Adams & Karen Brown, The Potting Sisters in Kingston