I enjoyed your article on dredging the Willamette. My opinion is that dredging has only positive effects -- it removes the contaminants and hazardous material from the riverbed; a deeper channel improves flood control; it provides numerous recreational boating activities; and it generates vast quantities of aggregate without mining the hills in the area.

The representative from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife that you quoted gave an expected jibberish answer: If it is progress; we are against it. The department of Environmental Quality representative said they didn't want to disrupt the natural features of the river. This doesn't make sense. The natural feature is flooding Keizer and other areas on a regular basis.

Where are the leaders who just do it and don't wait to please everyone. If dredging doesn't prove beneficial it will fill up with sediment again. No harm done.
- Bill Putney

Salem Monthly's evil plan (Re: Reader's Comment - August and Best Of)

I would like to know why the Salem Monthly did not publish one of those two well-written articles in response to the "Best Of Salem" Thrift Store. The subject matter discussed by myself and this other individual needs to be read by the public and the fact that neither was in the paper and that this month's reader's comments section was squeezed into a top corner of your periodical is astonishing. I have it in my mind now that you were afraid to publish it due to any backfire you might receive from Goodwill Industries and perhaps you've always been in cahoots with them since they were "voted" Best Of Salem in the first place! Tsk tsk.
- Anonymous

Kiosks revisited (Re: Downtown Vision in Black and Whtie)

I think it's great that the kiosks were taken away because now I can find postings for shows on every light post downtown. Everyone knew that those "ugly free speech things" in downtown were the reason that people don't shop downtown. DUH!

There are probably a lot of reasons that a quarter of Salem's population doesn't go downtown: nasty building owners, horrible parking, all the one-way streets, smelly people who don't have a place to go, empty businesses, a complete loss of connection to a city identity. But I keep thinking about those gross kiosks that remind me that I live in a town with life and activities.

Here's to Janet Taylor for making free speech available on every light post, garbage can, empty wall, and tree trunk downtown. Where would Salem's identity be with out you?

- Freddy Ruiz

Grateful loser
SM readers, there are honest people out there! I just wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU to the individual who turned in my wallet lost during Hood-To-Coast. I appreciate your honesty and integrity.
- Anonymous Salem runner