Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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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....
It's not our habit to run a photograph in this editorial column, but sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, as they say. In this case, it certainly counts for a lot. Last Wednesday, the WP Cardinals volleyball team played against Tri Cities Prep at Kison Court, but the home crowd was a bit thin, and few, if any, stood to cheer the girls. It didn't help that quite a few of the WP high schoolers had gone to watch the WP Mustangs play against DeSales. Head coach Jesse Buehler said sh...
This is the year when we all talk about schools, and why the school system in our country is in crisis. Of course, there hasn't been a year I can remember when we haven't talked about the crisis in our schools. It's become something of a national mantra. The question needs to be revisited. I was thinking about this lately when I read a letter written by my dad when he was nine - a letter of such artistic proportion and elegance of style that Shakespeare would have sat up and marveled, "Man,...
Walla Walla County has been fortunate to have Mike Humphreys, and Bill Jackson before him, as sheriff. Bill White is cast from the same mold. Bill White has helped Mike Humphreys make our sheriff's office extremely effective, even with limited budgets and resources. I have worked with Bill White on hundreds of criminal cases for over 25 years and found his varied experience in law enforcement and knowledge of Washington law extremely helpful. As a law enforcement instructo,r he has been a mentor for new deputies. Bill and his wife Lora ha...
By now, it is obvious that the recent Cycle Oregon event in our community was a resounding success. It took the whole community to accomplish this. It my intent with this letter to single out some of the individuals who agreed to coordinate various parts of that event and make it the success it was. Deputy City Clerk Kelly Steinhoff was the community manager and responsible for the overall event. The site coordinator was Dr. Carol Clarke with the responsibility of table and chair setup an...
I urge Columbia voters to re-elect Sheriff Walt Hessler and vote for Randy Lewis as County Prosecutor. It was Deputy Mark Franklin, now running against the sheriff, who did not believe or understand the Constitution under which citizens have the right to protect their own property and was stopping property owners at the end of 4th Street from taking tractors to help prevent the notorious Dayton complex fire. We remember the horrendous outcome. Franklin was Sheriff Burgland's undersheriff during that "regime" in another editorial by Cla...
Driving east out of Waitsburg you quickly reach the county line. A small sign on Highway 12 indicates that you're crossing from Walla Walla into Columbia county, but nothing else changes. The hills that mark the Touchet Valley watershed continue in the distance as the wheat fields, grain tanks and farms roll by. For the purposes of this editorial, we'd like to use the valley's seamless landscape as a metaphor for our news coverage of the area and its community. It's in answer to a question we've had from some of our readers why we have "so...
Dear Editor: This week we hosted as many strangers as at any time in my memory. Despite a heavy month of civic service activities, organizers of the Cycle Oregon events managed to round up volunteers and make the experience fun for both participants and locals. I was so proud to hear an almost universal heartfelt appreciation for Waitsburg from the many people I spoke with. As they first rounded the corner and came onto Main Street, you could hear, "Wow, what a beautiful little town," and the good words continued throughout the event. Pictur...
Dear Editor, On October 20, 2009, our home was burglarized; jewelry, several guns, liquor, my collection of watches and pocket knives, and our 42" plasma TV were stolen. We credit Deputy Mark Franklin's investigative expertise and dedication to duty for the recovery of a gun he located in Yakima on his own time; and later the TV that was in Milton-Freewater. The TV was later donated to the sheriff's department to be used as part of their security system. Sheriff Hessler sent us a letter of thanks with no mention of the burglary. He has ne...
During this year's Days of Real Sport, this writer was told by a worried official that if Walla Walla and Tri-Cities were to end their pari-mutuel horse racing this year or next-a real possibility-the days of thoroughbred racing at the fairgrounds would end. What to do? Reinvent the event? My thinking: Building on the upcoming Days of Real Sport's Centennial, organize-very soon-a Waitsburg 2013 Committee with 50-75 members, representing as many relevant interests, talents, resources and const...
A few weeks ago, the Waitsburg City Council voted unanimously to make a change in the municipal code allowing for a longer permit to use the city's Preston Park. The change was prompted by a request from the Dayton's Farmers Market, which has been interested in using Preston Park for its weekend activities. At the time of the vote, Mayor Walt Gobel said a farmers market here should be called "Wait's Market," a name coined by community activist and former real estate agent Deanne Johnson in honor of the town's founder. Now that Cycle Oregon has...
Dear Editor: I was surprised to see the results of the Columbia County primary election, which showed Prosecuting Attorney Rea Culwell trailing her opponent. It appears that many voters may have voted along party lines instead of voting for the better candidate. As a rural county prosecutor, I understand the demands of the job, which include a lot more than prosecuting criminal cases. While the challenger claims experience, I question whether it's the right experience to be as successful a county prosecutor. You, the voter, should be as...
When the American Cancer Society approached Dayton resident Delphine Bailey about starting up a local Relay for Life event, Bailey was worried she wouldn't be able to rally enough people to make it work. "But I have been totally amazed at the people that have come forward to help with this wonderful event," she said Monday. This weekend, Saturday, Sept. 18, through Sunday, Sept. 19, supporters will rally again, for the third year, at the Dayton Sports Complex to raise cancer awareness and money for the American Cancer Society at the Rel...
When Ski Bluewood co-owner Stan Goodell first began operating the ski resort in 1983, he wanted to raise lift ticket prices. He first contemplated a bump to $14 from $13, but he settled on $13.50. His staff quickly pointed out that resort cashiers would have to stock up on a boatload of quarters with that ticket price. This was before the popularity of credit cards, and many skiers paid in cash. But Goodell had a better idea. Instead of quarters, which quickly melt away in the money-change circuit, he got a boatload of half dollars to give his...
Dear Editor: I would like to voice my support for Mark Franklin for sheriff. I do so for two reasons. First, I believe Mark is the best qualified by a mile. He has the background, education, experience and professionalism needed going into the second decade of a very dangerous and complicated world. Columbia County may be a small, rural county now, but it is going to grow by leaps and bounds. There is an immeasurable push from the south to the north that will bring many people and many problems. When the recession winds down there will be...
Dear Editor: I am writing today to invite everyone in our area to join me at the upcoming American Cancer Society Blue Mountain Relay For Life, which is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 18-19, at the Dayton Sports Complex. The Blue Mountain Relay For Life will once again raise funds for the American Cancer Society, while also raising awareness of a disease that will be diagnosed in more than 34,000 men, women and children in our state before the end of this year. One of the most moving and emotional times during the Relay is the l...
With Concept In Hand, City Can Now Approach Sponsors To Help Build A Museum Gathering Place Where Historic Flour Mill Stood As you may remember, following the fire that destroyed Wait's Mill last September, the Mayor and City Council commissioned the Waitsburg Community Revitalization Committee (WCRC) to explore alternatives for re-use of the mill site. A public meeting was held at which several suggestions were made. A primary theme among these suggestions was to do something to comme...
On Tuesday, Sept. 14, the population of Waitsburg will triple in size, at least for a few days. Normally around 1,250, the addition of about 2,500 bicyclists and support personnel from Cycle Oregon means there will be almost 4,000 people in town. Waitsburg is used to having lots of visitors. The annual Lions' Rib Fest and Days of Real Sport horse racing event in May, and the Commercial Club's salmon barbeque and the Pioneer Fall Festival in September usually bring hundreds, sometimes more than 1,000 folks to town but never this many. Not even...
I am a 77-year-old retiree who lives in Dayton. I am very angry at Sheriff Hessler for promoting an ORV law/ordinance that would allow such unsafe vehicles to run through our streets. I can just see our streets in the summer time just full of these dangerous things. This is not what a Sheriff should be doing. This position should be held by somebody who keeps our streets safe and thinks of the welfare of the citizens. This is especially true for seniors. Where is the respect for older people. This law will drive down the value of pr...
I am very appreciative of the wonderful letter from the Reeves attesting to Clarence Stearn's good character. I would like to add an example of Clarence's support for his community. The Weller Public Library participates in the Fall Festival at the Bruce House with a large book sale, proceeds from which help the Friends of the Library purchase new books. In the past this was a bit arduous as the boxes of books are many and heavy and must be hauled down very steep stairs from the second floor storage room above the library. For the last five...
We could easily hold forth for several pages about the importance of our educators. At a time when school is underway or close to resuming, there probably wouldn't be enough room to describe the challenging task teachers, staff, coaches and volunteers undertake for the next 40 some weeks. Parents in the Touchet Valley place their kids in their hands, knowing instructors will do their utmost to help them learn, grow and engage in meaningful pursuits in the classroom and on the sports fi...
