Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 607
To the Editor, The new Waits Mill Dog Park had its grand opening on June 19, and we are celebrating the power of collaboration and partnership. In 2008, Councilmembers Leroy Cunningham and Ken Lenhart put forward the official recommendation of a dog park for Waitsburg. The recommendation remained a point of discussion until summer 2023 when the recently revitalized Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District’s commissioners decided to stop just talking about it and start acting on it. The dog park was a partnership from the beginning - the city p... Full story
To the editor, I am delighted to support Bertha Clayton for County Commissioner. Over the past six years, our children attended school together and I have seen firsthand her dedication and passion for our community Bertha is an outstanding candidate who embodies integrity, dedication, and kindness. Her extensive legal training and experience make her exceptionally qualified to enhance public safety, promote economic development, and ensure fiscal responsibility. Bertha is committed to building a more inclusive and prosperous county, advocating... Full story
Dear Editor, Waitsburg Times, I encourage you to get to know Bertha Clayton, candidate for Walla Walla County Commissioner, Position 1. She holds Walla Walla County and Waitsburg dear. Her great-grandparents were among the first homesteaders who settled near the Mormon Grade in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. “We have found heaven on earth,” they said. Bertha and her family know exactly what that means. Her parents have lived on their 163-acre family farm near Waitsburg for forty years. A quote from Bertha, “I love Walla Walla Count... Full story
Dear Editor, I'd like to give a shout-out to Melissa Gemmell for her article on the "Stand By Me" mural. It was timely, in my opinion, to have Padraic Slattery explain what his thoughts were. He is thinking outside the box, but going in the direction of bringing more people to Dayton. There has been some talk about the mural being painted over of Historic Dayton. Painting over the mural did NOT suddenly erase Dayton's history, like a pencil eraser. The history will always be here. This will... Full story
Dear Editor It appears that some CCC members and elected officials continue to display disregard for all community members’ First Amendment rights. Port of Columbia Commissioner Seth Bryan is the administrator for the Dayton Uncensored Facebook page, which allows harassment, defamation, doxxing, and cyber-harassment of community members engaging in constitutionally protected activity. The First Amendment right to criticize public officials, access the courts, and comment on issues of public interest are well-established and supported by case l... Full story
To the Editor, “I’ve looked at life from both sides now…” by Joni Mitchell A story told in our community is about an older female who went to CC Public Library and was confronted by a large display featuring a book opened to a page with sexual images. She was upset, especially for the children. She had previously enjoyed going to the library. I understand her shock at seeing books with sexual content displayed. It didn’t happen when we were young. Instead, we lived in ignorance. Others in our generation may have been curious and looked for info... Full story
To the editor, Throughout Washington State high schools during Black History Month, there has only been a small lump sum of instances where they’ve mentioned Alice Coachman. More high schoolers should know more than just Jesse Owens, Bessie Coleman, and Mae Jemison. They should be able to proudly notify others that Alice Coachman was the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. She was able to accomplish the Olympic high jump title and American record of 5’ 6⅛”, even when there were times where she was shunned and neglected when it came... Full story
To Port Of Columbia Commissioners Seth Bryan, Mike Spring, and Johnny Watts, Because all three of the Port of Columbia commissioners are new to the business of the port, we think they should look into the past accomplishments made before their service began: Improvements to and maintenance of the Lyons Ferry Recreational Area. Fiber-Optic broadband internet to the City of Dayton and to parts of the county. The planning and development of Blue Mountain Station, an incubator for new small businesses. The port also plays the vital role of... Full story
To the Editor, When I was a child, the Dayton Memorial Library was a place my friends and I were always welcome. My father, an avid reader and well-respected schoolteacher, often requested books from that library to read, for pleasure or as resources for his lessons. Like my friends, my father, and me, members of the whole community drew on that splendid resource to enrich our lives. If we couldn’t find something we needed, the librarian, Ms. Weatherford, would help us, thereby expanding the library’s usefulness. The same was true for my wif... Full story
Letter to the Editor We would like to express our appreciation for the wonderful spread you did for “Izzy the Camel” in your February 15th edition of the Times. You turned an extremely sad time into an awesome tribute. You must understand that we may be prejudiced, but he was our grandson. Izzy was a born poseur for pictures, which led to his being a television star in which he was cast as a member of the walking dead in an episode of “Z Nation.” When Mickey and Tawnya got married, he was the best man in their wedding along with Winnie, a minia...
After viewing Seth Bryan’s behavior and his vote at the Feb 14, 2024, Columbia County Port Commissioner meeting I want to suggest that he should RESIGN as a Columbia County Port Commissioner IMMEDIATELY. He proposed, then voted on, removing the Executive Director’s Contract, which would then leave any employee in that position with no job security, except to the wishes of what he wants to allow or not allow. Mr. Bryan’s actions at that Port meeting were unprofessional and cruel. He took it upon himself to discuss personnel concerns at a publi... Full story
To the editor, It was with incredulity and disgust that I watched the Port Commission meeting of February 14, 2024, as Seth Bryan put forth an unprecedented, unorthodox motion to change the executive director from a contracted position to an at-will employee. After the motion passed 2-1 with Mike Spring against and Johnny Watts following Seth Bryan’s lead in lockstep, as usual, Commissioner Bryan proceeded to make unsubstantiated accusations of insubordination against the Executive Director. Having watched many of the Port of Columbia m...
Letter to the editor, I am writing in response to the last commission meeting I watched. Things seemed well until the last few minutes after the executive meeting took place. What I witnessed was a personal attack against the executive director and port employee Jennie Dickinson from commissioner Seth Bryan. After watching a professional and informative meeting, this felt like a personal ambush of ill intent. Down right bullying behavior that should never happen in any work place, let alone in a public forum. The tone and rude responses when... Full story
Letter to the Editor I watched the Port meeting online, 5:00 p.m., the 14th of February. After coming out of executive session where concerns about staff should be addressed, Commissioner Seth Bryan verbally assaulted Executive Director Jennie Dickinson in an open public meeting format. Which to me, is a violation of RCW 42.23.070. I attend Port meetings on a regular basis. Jennie Dickinson has always conducted herself in a professional manner, always showing respect for the Commissioners and to the public. It is now time for Commissioner Seth... Full story
To our community, We are troubled by the potential divisiveness of this upcoming election year. With all the wars, genocide, disinformation, the potential of Artificial Intelligence, any of which, could disrupt our democratic process. While we are thinking globally here, let’s think about how we can act locally. As a community shouldn’t we try living in harmony. If harmony is not the right word, should we consider, civility, respectfulness, kindness or courtesy at the very least. In our small community shouldn’t we strive for unity as every... Full story
To the Editor, I won’t hesitate to vote yes on the Waitsburg School District’s Educational Programs and Operations Levy on Feb. 13. This replacement levy funds our preschool, extracurricular activities (including athletics), transportation and technology. I brag on Waitsburg School District often, singing the praises of having half-day preschool for children ages 3 to 5, at no extra cost to in-district parents. Waitsburg preschoolers are ready for kindergarten, equipped with the skills they need for classroom success. Unfortunately, Wai... Full story
To the Editor, On behalf of Waitsburg Commercial Club, I express our wholehearted support for the upcoming Waitsburg School levy. It should be noted that this is not a new tax or levy; it is a replacement levy for the previously passed measure that is about to expire. Our schools play an integral role in shaping our community. In a recent hospital visit, I ran across a Waitsburg High School grad who earned their diploma and an AA degree last year. They were employed in the medical field with a good job and benefits due to the educational opport... Full story
To the Editor I am writing to clarify my questioning of the statements made in a social media post regarding the levy’s funding of FFA. While FFA does receive some support from the levy, it is minimal compared to the funding received from grants and FFA itself. They used the greenhouse as an example when in reality I’m told the greenhouse was built with grant money. Correct me if I’m wrong. I viewed this example of programs that would be cut as not entirely accurate since the overwhelming majority of FFA funding is not from the levy; howev... Full story
To the Editor We will soon have the opportunity to once again show our support for the children and schools of our community. On Friday, January 26, ballots for the upcoming Special Election (February 13) will be mailed. On the ballot is the Waitsburg School District’s Education Programs and Operations Levy. A levy is a local property tax passed by the voters and generates revenues for the schools that are not part of “basic education” and are not fully funded by the state. This levy would replace our currently approved EP&O Levy, which expires... Full story
To the Editor Four generations of my family have attended Dayton Schools and received a solid education here. I want to ensure that the children in our community continue to have the same opportunity for a quality, well-rounded education. That is why I am supporting the upcoming levy for Dayton Schools. The Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) levy will support Career & Technical Education (CTE), vocational programs, athletics, extra-curricular activities, food services, transportation, and more. The Capital levy will allow for... Full story
WAITSBURG-Future Farmers of America (FFA) is one of the largest student-led organizations in the U.S. According to the National FFA website, there are almost 950,000 middle and high school students and 9,163 chapters across America, including Waitsburg's Student Chapter (WA0126). To every student, FFA is a unique experience. "FFA created a second family for me," said Alyssa Hollingsworth, vice president of the local chapter. "I've learned how to just be normal again, if that makes sense, like...
To the Editor: Usually, you have zero say about taxes. But this February, you have the opportunity to say No to a tax, when the Dayton School District puts forth two special levies seeking to extract from taxpayers, beginning in 2025, $1.41-$1.48 per $1,000 of assessed home value for a Replacement Educational Programs and Operations Levy AND $1.50 per $1,000 assessed home value for a Replacement Capital Levy for Technology, Safety, and Facility Improvements. Often, school levy supporters like to speak in terms of “cups of coffee,” as in, “Th... Full story
In response to a November 23, 2023 Waitsburg Times article concerning Dayton School Board meeting. Dear board members It has come to my attention after reading a November 23 article in the Waitsburg Times that CCC member Aneesha Dieu stated that she wanted a bit of “heightened awareness” on what kind of books were being brought into the school. I would like to caution the board members and staff on entertaining such cynical ploys to undermine public education. Over the past 18 months, we have witnessed an unprecedented campaign of cen... Full story
To the Editor: Thanksgiving is a time to be appreciative, grateful, and thankful. It is a time to reflect on what we are thankful for. I often say a silent prayer of thanks for my life in Dayton, an area, with a few exceptions, that doesn’t have wild, crazy, and destructive weather like tornadoes. I say a prayer of thanks for being able to safely walk around my community, meet neighbors, and enjoy conversations with people like Curtis at the post office, who is always cheerful and helpful. There are many people I am grateful for; some have b... Full story
If the vision that launched Lions Club International (LCI) in 1917 still applies to local Lions Clubs across America, it surely applies to the Waitsburg Lions Club. Formed in 1940 as a chapter of LCI, Waitsburg’s Lions have been a stable element of social life and community service for 83 years, something not to be taken for granted. The club and others, including the Freemasons, Eastern Star, Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.), and Kiwanis, support community life and friendship, provide service and aid where needed, encourage c...
