Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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Dear Editor, First and foremost I would like to thank those who have supported me as your County Commissioner representing District 2 for the past eight years. These two terms have been both challenging and rewarding, as this position has evolved and expanded tremendously. I have been honored to be able to help and serve the residents of Walla Walla County. This year there are six candidates vying for the District 2 position. They all have distinct attributes that need to be analyzed to determine who will best fit the needs of Walla Walla...
Dear Editor, Rumor has it we have had Nestles big wigs in town wanting our water. Not just no, HELL NO! I have been very concerned since my first year on city council. My concern stems from the Territorial Charter. It states in Sec. 38. The mayor of the city of Waitsburg, in addition to his powers and duties as part of the body known as “the council of Waitsburg,” shall have power to veto all ordinances or resolutions passed by said council in the manner provided by this act. I found that the veto power has been misinterpreted as the power to...
Dear Editor, As a lifelong Republican, I reject Donald Trump and what he stands for: racism, xenophobia, nativism, and contempt for women, the disabled and other groups. Rather than adhere to our party’s conservative principles and state a clear program, he offers a vague vision of “making America Great Again” and simplistic slogans about “building a wall” and deporting millions of undocumented workers. He is demagogue who most people thoughtful people will surely reject as President and Commander in Chief. At the minimum, who would want the...
Dear Editor, I have known Randal Son for several years. Just recently I have become aware of the depth and breadth of his experience as he campaigns for County Commissioner District 2. He has had formal training and then applied it professionally in developing Endowments, Agricultural Credit Analysis, and Community Development Finance. He has held the Certified Financial Planner Certificate and the National Association of Securities Dealers Broker’s Licenses. He was early to recognize the importance of developing clean and renewable energy, a...
Dear Editor, To all those people who planned, created, recreated, scheduled, organized in too many ways to mention, Larry and I thank you for all the Celebration Days 2016 activities. We can’t begin to image the time and effort of all the different groups/individuals contributed to make this event happen. Out of all the community members that could have been selected, we certainly appreciate being chosen to represent our ‘One of a Kind’ community. ‘It was a grand time!” Larry and Pam Conover Waitsburg...
Dear Editor: Waitsburg Celebration was another huge success, thanks to a bunch of involvement from the community, its citizens, and its organizations. We are so proud to be living in this town, and enjoying our annual celebration as it is now and remembering the way Waitsburg has celebrated this weekend in May for so many years! The event(s) could never have happened without the help of many people in this city. First, the Celebration Days Committee: they started meeting in October and have worked tirelessly throughout the entire fall, winter...
Dear Editor, Because Washington State’s presidential primary is meaningless--except to gather names for major political parties (which smells like public use of dollars for the benefit of private groups) the Secretary of State and Attorney General’s offices were contacted. Responses from both referenced RCW 29A.56.060 submitted as an initiative to the legislature and passed in 1989. Simply put, if the legislature provides funds a Presidential Primary is held. This year the cost of the Presidential Primary is estimated at $11.5 million. Con...
Dear Editor, Lyons Ferry Marina would like to thank the County Commissioners, Port of Columbia and the County Engineer for helping to resolve a posible interruption of our business by a road construction project on Lyons Ferry Rd. Originally slated for June & July 2016 this project would have closed the road for 60 days during our peak season. An alternate road closure date has been set to start on or after August 15th 2016. Although not ideal we will only have a few weeks of our summer season affected instead of eight. We wish it was later,...
Dear Editor, In response to the April 21st article in the Times, regarding staff cuts in the Waitsburg School District, we as educators would like to share some additional insight and encourage community members to attend the May 11th school board meeting in Preston Hall at 7:00 pm. Reducing the certified teaching staff by 1 to 3 people is likely to cause significant changes for Waitsburg students. This could include, but is not limited to, fewer elective classes offered at the high school, loss of continuity and belonging in the middle school...
Dear Editor, On behalf of the After School Task Force, we want to thank the many volunteers who contributed to a very successful After School Pilot Program which concluded on March 31, 2016. There is no doubt that the program would never have happened without the countless hours of preparation and facilitation on the part of our volunteers. A total of 50 youth, grades 3 – 6 participated in art, dance, gardening, soccer, basketball, football, and granola making. We want to thank the following volunteers for their commitment to the program: S...
Dear Editor Thank you to the Citizens of Waitsburg for your support in the recent Mayor City Election. Your confidence in my ability to do the job is greatly appreciated. I am proud to serve as Mayor of this One of a Kind City. It is a special city and we are proud to reside here and be involved. Thanks to all of the candidates that were willing to step up and declare their willingness to serve this city. Congratulations to those that won! And thank you to all that were willing to serve. Waitsburg has many opportunities to serve, so if you...
Dear Editor, Those running for national office could learn much about civility and actually answering constituent questions from candidates for Waitsburg mayor and city council. At the candidate forum held March 25 at The Q, the candidates stated why each was interested and willing to run for office. Each candidate also clearly answered questions asked by audience members. During the question and answer portion candidates gave their opinions, in response to a question, on what is needed for Waitsburg to survive and evolve in the future. The...
Dear Editor, Thank you to the mystery person who left the large bowl of flowers on my front porch. It was a wonderful surprise and cheers me every time I see it. Jan Cronkhite Waitsburg...
Dear Editor, Mike and I are grateful to our community here in the Touchet Valley for supporting us so well through my cancer diagnosis, surgery and recovery. I had a very successful surgery outcome and will be following up with oral chemotherapy for six months, as a preventative measure against re-occurrence. This is (because I am, and continue to be on) a journey that is filled with many challenges, blessings, and healing. I can say this not just because of the good outcome, but because I have learned so much through the process about me, my...
Dear Editor, I take issue with Waitsburg Mayor Gobel’s comment, in the February 25th Times, in reference to our fairgrounds, where he is quoted as saying that, “Nobody’s come forward to help us with that situation or to get involved to help.” I know several people who both before and after that meeting, went into city hall, or called with offers of voluntary help. Two of us were at that very meeting trying very hard to volunteer. None of us have been contacted by you in any way, shape or form. In fact, we have been ignored. Mr. Kuykend...
Dear Editor, On behalf of the students, staff and Board of Directors, I would like to extend a big thank you to the patrons of the Waitsburg School District. The overwhelming support and passing of the recent Replacement Maintenance and Operations Levy will enable the District to continue to sustain the programs and services it has previously offered. Extracurricular activities and athletics allow our students to gain experiences beyond the classroom that will enhance their growth and development. The District will also seek to extend early...
Dear Editor, In late January registered voters in the Dayton School District will be asked to determine the fate of two school levy measures, a replacement Maintenance and Operations Levy and a Capital Project levy. Both measures are worthy of your support. The M&O levy provides 25% of the District’s budgeted revenue. This funding provides financial support necessary for operational cost and general maintenance and repair tasks. Local dollars support small class sizes and academic support in K-12 classrooms, college prep curriculum and c...
Dear Editor, I just wanted to thank you for the picture on page 12 of your last issue of the Class of 1975. I attended school in Waitsburg from 4 - 8th grade and should have been in that picture but we moved from Waitsburg in the summer of 1970. I have not seen these people since then and just wanted to say it looks like everyone has aged well. Carry on my former classmates. Ron McGuire Deer Park, Wash....
Dear Editor Just a note of thanks. After twenty five years working for Government at Hanford, (father also worked thirty years there) and several years for Boeing, I retired and with wife Olga bought the small lavender farm here. Yes, we are new farmers in town but full of energy retirees learning more every day. We are grateful to community: members of commercial club for opinions about lavender field uses, city office for consulting and at the hardware store people for advise and for finding perfect pets for our home, and for helping us...
Dear Editor, I find it positively exhilarating having been informed that Bill Clinton’s wife, Hillary, plans to invite Caitlyn Jenner to be her vice president. Imagine their apparelers’ grins as these grand ladies stroll the inaugural runway among flowers and more flowers! America is at war between the inner-city savages and the robots of the suburbs, and I wonder if this curious political marriage can appease the combatants. David Castleman Dayton...
Dear Editor, Take a moment and thank your volunteer firefighters in Columbia and Walla Walla County (Waitsburg). They are on duty for us, providing first class, responsive fire and property protection, including education for rural forest homeowners. Our volunteers choose to protect us. They serve our rural communities at the their own expense, skipping time with their families, especially in our time of need. They are on duty during holidays, weekends and after midnight. Our quality of life here is much improved by the sacrifices these...
Dear Editor, I want to take this opportunity to say “Thank you” for all of the notes, cards and well wishes on my retirement. A special thanks to Dinah Lindsey for organizing and Dr. Clarke for hosting the event. Margie Douglas College Place...
Dear Editor, A big thank you to all of the Waitsburg Celebration Days volunteers and to all of those who donated to the public art project! We are very close to having the piece, Jeffrey Hill’s “Founding Fathers”, fully funded, but we still need to raise $5,000. Any donations are greatly appreciated! Thanks once again to all of our great community members who continue to keep Waitsburg “One of a Kind”! Randy Hinchliffe City of Waitsburg...
Dear Editor, On the front page of the April 20, 2015 edition of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, the headline read “4 Area High School Reap Awards.” It stated that Waitsburg High School received the Overall Excellence award from the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. It went on to discuss the 2014 High Progress awards received by three other area schools and explained that “only 10 percent of high schools receive the High Progress award.” What the WWUB article failed to explain was that Waitsburg High School,...
Dear Editor, IT’S TIME: It takes a lot of community members to make the right decisions regarding how we live and accomplish tasks within Columbia County, its cities and Waitsburg! In most instances this is accomplished by individuals that step-up and accept a challenge, either as an elected official or as a volunteer. For several years I have been either elected or a volunteer and it is now time to pass the challenge to the younger members of our community. As I move into the mid-seventies it is becoming more difficult for me to make the d...
