Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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On this week's opinion page, we're running Paul McCaw's "Burg" about football and team sports in general. He has an interesting perspective on these school activities, and though it's not ours, we welcome his candid view on the subject and his thought-provoking style. His writing and that of others in our community help make these pages a forum for healthy debate about local issues that affect us. There are many takes on team sports, and it's true that players, parents and communities can...
To the Editor: Dayton's political forum (Oct. 6) was packed with interested citizens desiring to select the best candidate for Columbia County. Walt Hessler so graciously expressed no grudge or animosity to his opponent. Perhaps it's time to pull up the campaign signs with a 66 to 33 percentage loss in the primary election and join in the pursuit of fighting the recent crime wave in Dayton. I observed when Mr. Lewis began speaking with dignity, respect, experience and maturity that he would add to the court as a constitutional pros...
The gravel road to the trailhead was filled with potholes that rocked the car. We knew we were close to our destination. We pulled up to where the old logging road is cut off to motorized traffic by a high mound of dirt and a deep trench. The four of us got out of the car. Niko and I emerged from the back seat. My friend and his oldest son got out of the front. My friend's youngest son, a good friend of Niko, wasn't with us. But he was foremost on our minds. His father made a point of...
Barely a week after it was unveiled, Keith McMaster's statue of the stationmaster near the historic train depot in Dayton was desecrated. An acidic liquid, perhaps Coke or Pepsi, was dumped over it leaving splotches on the statue's head, and the carefully crafted, bronze eyeglasses were twisted and cracked. During the same week, someone went through a lot trouble to release a seed-laden boxcar that thundered through the Touchet Valley and could have cost someone's life. Columbia County Sheriff Walt Hessler and a citizens group in Waitsburg r...
Dear Editor, Most residents of Columbia County aren't aware of how much crime occurs around them unless they have the bad fortune to become a victim. And if you become a victim in Columbia County, the odds of catching the perpetrator are not very good now. According to the numbers I've found for 2007 through September of 2010 (Sheriff Hessler's tenure) there have been reported: 145 Assaults, with 13 arrests 93 Residential Burglaries, with 7 arrests 40 Commercial Burglaries, with 4 arrests 451 Thefts, with 9 arrests 113 Car Prowls, with 2 arrest...
Letter to the Editor: There have been a lot of letters to the editor professing their non-support of Prosecuting Attorney Rea Culwell. These people all believe that they have some basis for their opinion, and that for some reason their opinion is something that everyone wants to hear. From my vantage point, most of these detractors are upset because of the prosecution of a family member. If those who had written these letters were the victims in the cases and Rea had not prosecuted, my guess is that their letters would be just as negative, but...
Dear Editor, Integrity, commitment, decisiveness, legal reasoning, insight, and experience - Kris Hedine will bring all of these attributes to the position of part-time District Court Judge. Kris's experience speaks for itself. He currently serves as judge pro tem in Walla Walla District Court while remaining active in his private practice. He has had extensive experience in handling numerous cases (both jury and bench trials) throughout Eastern Washington over the past 28 years, while trying both plaintiff and defense cases in both civil and...
Dear Editor, John Turner is a man of integrity who wants nothing more than to live a life of service. He has a passion for public safety and law enforcement and has served in that capacity as a veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department (where he saw it all) and as a highly respected police attorney. He has also served as a Counter-Terrorism Investigator/Rule of Law Advisor for the U.S. Army and is currently a Special Investigator for the Department of Homeland Security. John has deep family roots in the area and has made Walla Walla his...
Dear Editor, It is an honor to write this letter recommending Randy Lewis to be the next Columbia County Prosecutor. As a practicing behavioral health professional, I have come to know many individuals in the legal profession, as it is necessary to work collaboratively with them for the betterment of our respective clients' lives. Mr. Lewis stands out as experienced and able to tell chaff from grain. During this campaign, much mud-slinging has occurred, and in response to this, there are two primary points I wish to make. First of all, to...
Dear Editor, How much are children worth in Dayton and Columbia County? They are worth everything - they are our future! Dayton and Columbia County provide great schools, sports, summer activities, 4-H and much more for our children. In the last couple of years, new programs have been initiated which serve to keep our children free from harm. One of the programs was an Options Bed for runaway or homeless youth funded by our county commissioners. Sheriff Hessler did not participate in the planning of this with a local group, and it took many...
Dear Editor: Even though Mr. Bulota of Starbuck was not known to me personally, it was nevertheless very disturbing to find that the Columbia County sheriff did not organize a search for the man right away after he went missing. Sheriff Hessler should be made to account for the fact that no search dogs or manhunt was done when Mr. Bulota went missing last March. A veteran rescue coordinator said it is far easier to find remains within a week of a fatal accident. Sheriff Hessler later said a search for Mr. Bulota was like finding a needle in a...
Dear Editor, Recently two of Ms Culwell's supporters said that Ed Nichols of New York was not a worthy person to endorse Mr. Lewis because he (Nichols), "makes a living defending sex predators, molesters and people accused (notice here, accused not convicted) of incest." In the case of Mr. Nichols' firm, many of his clients are spouses who have been accused of sexual misconduct as a result of divorce disputes over child custody. Divorce disputes bring many false accusations, and only by going to trial can the truth be determined Ms Culwell...
Dear Editor, In one of Ms Culwell's campaign brochure, she states that she passed the bar in 2001; in another she says she passed the bar in 2002. In one she says she has prosecuted nearly 1,000 cases; in another she says she has prosecuted over 1,000 cases. Which is accurate? I have attended court sessions and have seen both Lewis and Culwell in action. Lewis seemed well prepared. He had his trial materials laid out in an organized way on his table. He presented his defense in a straight-forward, easy-to-understand way. Ms Culwell, on the othe...
Dear Editor, Here are a couple of what I consider facts that helped me choose Randy Lewis for Prosecuting Attorney Fact 1. Randy's opponent Rea Culwell did not tell the truth in her campaign brochure when she said, "Lewis has overcharged Columbia County so our judges will not appoint him anymore." On October 6, 2010, I spoke with Judge Acey and he said there was no allegation of over charging, and the county has continued to employ Randy. In fact, Randy has additionally provided pro bono services. Justice will only prevail in the courtroom of...
Dear Editor, I am supporting Mark Franklin for sheriff of Columbia County because I have seen Mark's care and concern for the youth of this community and for the safety of all its citizens. Mark is very proactive and volunteers his time for many community programs and events. Mark serves as chairman of the Columbia County Community Network and is vice president for the Coalition for Youth and Families. He volunteers his time to make presentations at the school and to interact with our youth. I have known several kids who have turned to Mark in...
Dear Editor: I am responding to Norm Passmore's recent letter to the editor about my brother-in-law, Randy Lewis. Randy did run for election against an incumbent judge in Louisiana. Randy knew it would be an uphill battle, but there were issues about this judge that Randy felt were unethical and needed to be brought to light. During the campaign, my dear husband Bob was diagnosed with cancer. My sister Debbie came to Dayton to help Bob and I deal with his cancer. On election day, rather than being in Louisiana, Randy was in Dayton spe...
Dear Editor: I'm a male conservative Republican, at the core of my beliefs are freedom and personal responsibility. I've been a conservative since I turned 18 and have taken my right to vote as a serious duty. I am curious about the number of people in Columbia County supporting Randy Lewis for Prosecutor. It's mystifing that so many would vote in the primary, for a candidate who had not passed the Washington State Bar Exam and has never prosecuted crime. Mr. Lewis is too close for comfort to Charles Thronsen, who has the county's criminal...
Dear Editor: I consider myself a politically responsible citizen and I follow the candidates' news and views closely each election season, especially the local races which will have direct affect on my life. The unfortunate course of many close races results in negative campaigning. Often one side or the other will likely make up something when they were unable to dig up dirt or they simply revert to using vague comments that cast doubt and slander on their opponent. The Columbia County race for Prosecuter is very tight and has become quite c...
Dear Editor: Are you kidding me? Trusting that the legislature would not increase the income tax and gradually spread the tax to everyone is about as likely a proposition as saying that Viper owners with radar detectors will always obey the speed limit. Alas, have we not learned that whenever you grant the government authority to take a little from a few, then we are granting them license to incrementally take a lot from all? The proponent's siren song of "a small percent tax confined to only the rich" should blow wind to scarlet red flags o...
Finally, Columbia County residents, Touchet Valley businesses and skiers in the region can let out a collective sigh of relief. The future of Ski Bluewood seems secure. Unless there's a hiccough in their inspection of the resort, Mike and Kelly Stephenson and their group of silent investors from the Tri-Cities will be the resort's new owners by Nov. 1. And if all goes well, the mountain will be open again this year. The Stephensons, who are longtime skiers and passionate skiing instructors, are a Godsend for Bluewood, its ski community and t...
It's oftentimes viewed as a cliché, but voting is a duty of citizenship. For decades, many Americans have given their lives so that all of us would have the opportunity to influence the direction and type of governance we deem best, not only for our personal comfort but for the general welfare and common good. That being stated, I enthusiastically and unequivocally endorse Mark Franklin for Columbia County Sheriff. My reasons for doing so are quite clear. Since moving to Dayton seven years ago, I have had many opportunities to observe Mr....
