Spokane plague peaks in the summer

Eight years ago, the federal government set Kootenai County on a path where its wastewater discharge would have to meet the highest water quality standards in the nation because our neighbors to the west were complaining about phosphorus levels impacting their water quality downstream.

In short, Spokane didn’t want our pollution, and they took some pretty drastic steps that resulted in higher rates for everybody over here who flushes a toilet or turns on a tap.

But our Washington brethren apparently weren’t done. They also figured out a way to send their pollution to us.

You’ve seen evidence of the pollution — human effluent, if you will — for quite some time. It manifests in vandalism, drugs, fights and other flavors of crime in downtown Coeur d’Alene, with the rotten smell usually growing strongest in the summer.

This is not to say that behind every white license plate is a young hellion bent on nefarious deeds. The vast majority of Washington visitors are law-abiders who do more good than harm to our economy. But there are exceptions — and, thank goodness, solutions.

Over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, a ramped up Coeur d’Alene Police presence throughout downtown, particularly at City Park, City Beach and Independence Point, was unmistakable. Those on patrol were pleasant, with smiles and even waves from time to time. But there was also a distinct air about them that nonsense would not be brooked.

And guess what? The community came through the three-day festivities relatively unscathed, a triumph considering not just the tragic shooting at City Park two Independence Days ago, but the increasing level of drunkenness and aggressive behavior in the vicinity so far this summer.

Capt. Dave Hagar was among those patrolling, one of the department’s top leaders opting to serve the people rather than serve himself a satisfying sarsaparilla or two under a shade tree at home. That level of dedication is duly noted and greatly appreciated. We believe the strong police presence at the heart of prospective trouble was precisely the reason there was so little of it.

Still, it grates that somehow, Spokane has stuck it to us not once, but twice. Revenge is not what we’re after; shipping our delinquents to party with impunity at Riverfront Park would accomplish nothing positive for anybody.

We’ll just have to be satisfied living in a place that’s a magnet for recreationists, the kind we want and the kind we could easily do without.

A place that Spokanites wish they could call home.