Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 1380 - 1404 of 2504
There's a part of me that finds a certain measure of comfort in consistency. It enjoys falling back into the same familiar patterns, doing the same things in the same way I've always done them. That part of me hasn't had a very good week. Case in point - this column. I'm typing it on a Windows 7 computer running Windows 8 software while some fancy internet modem blinks up a storm on the shelf next to me. Just a week ago today, Word and the computer it ran on were the XP version, and the dial-up...
WASHINGTON, DC - Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA- 05) released the following statement earlier this month after introducing H.R. 5303, the 21st Century Classroom Innovation Act, which encourages the use of blended learning in the classroom. "In the past few years we've seen an increase in the number of classrooms integrating technology - and these personalized learning tools are leading to tremendous academic performance. As the mom of three, I see firsthand how technology in the classroom...
Dear Editor, The Columbia County Hospital District Board decision to seek tax payer support for your health system was not an easy one, but one that is of utmost importance to our community. The coverage provided by both the Dayton Chronicle and The Times was on target regarding the major issues supporting the need for a levy. Their timely coverage is greatly appreciated. While both touched on the areas of need there are a couple of issues that need to be brought forth now and more in-depth during the immediate future. First: I know that the...
Dear Editor, I would like to thank the great people of Waitsburg for once again supporting the summer reading program. Special thanks go to the Classic Auto Club, Waitsburg Grocery Store, Waitsburg Hardware Store, Hubbard Law Office, Columbia County Health District, Blue Crystal Screen Printing, Midway Market, Laht Neppur and an extra big thank you to the Waitsburg Lions Club for their very generous donation. Becaue of these donations we were able to have a successful reading program for the children this summer. Thank you, thank you so very,...
People ask me all the time if I'm looking at any colleges in particular. My stock answer is "No, but a bunch of them seem to be looking at me." It's the eternal curse of anyone who's taken a standardized test and checked the little "Yes" box for "Give my address to colleges which I might be interested in". You get deluged with e-mail, snail mail, and even small packages. It's all glossy and neatly formatted, and after about three days, it all starts to sound the same. And it doesn't matter how well you perform on the test, either - that only...
A bout half a mile from my house in the South Touchet valley is a small business called Octopus Garden Honey. It's run by a couple named Paul and Susan Hosticka. They are beekeepers and they make wonderful honey there, which they sell at farmers markets and other venues. (The have a Facebook page if you want to learn more.) Each day, when I drive to Waitsburg, I pass near another business called Monteillet Fromagerie. It is run by a couple called Pierre Louis and Joan Monteillet. The...
WASHINGTON, DC - Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) released the following statement after sending a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack expressing concern over stoppages to official grain inspections at the Port of Vancouver. "Wheat growers are at the heart of Eastern Washington's economy, and the continual inefficiencies at the Port of Vancouver pose a threat to our longstanding export partnerships. In the Northwest, over 80 percent of our wheat is exported abroad - but these stoppages threaten to harm to our established trade...
[Editor's note: The following are excerpts from newspapers around the Pacific Northwest about Washington Governor Jay Inslee's recent move, which effectively blocked inspection of grain at the Port of Vancouver.] hellip;just as Washington's wheat harvest and export season move into full swing, Gov. Jay Inslee made a decision that effectively has shut down one of the most important export terminals on the West Coast and threatens the market share of the grain-growing industry from here to the Midwesthellip; hellip;Two weeks ago, Inslee canceled...
I 've never been much of an athlete. You can ask any of my classmates. It took me seven years to beat the sit-up count I had in the first grade. When I played tag, I frequently got told stuff like, "Emma, we both know you're never going to catch me." When we ran in PE and the teacher asked if someone would like to race me, somebody said, "Sure, I'll jog." They weren't trying to be mean. It's just the truth. I tell people that all my muscles are in my brain. This satisfies most folks, perhaps because my brain is a dark, twisty place and...
Even at the ripe old age of 136 years, it wasn't too late to give The Times a facelift, or so we thought. So this week we bring you a new, more colorful and hopefully more engaging newspaper layout. We now have full color on all our pages, and our photographs and other images promise to be crisper and brighter. A few months ago, I asked designer Vanessa Heim to help us design a new layout template, and you can see the result. I hope our weekly layout skills can live up to her wonderful vision. Since the 1980s The Times has been printed at the...
Dear Editor, I am endorsing Mark Spinks for the position of Walla Walla County Auditor. He is the right person for the job. Mark is a graduate of Texas State University with a degree in Business Management. His background is in information technology and banking. He is currently the Walla Walla County Public Records Officer. Mark's platform includes the following: - He would propose adding two to four individuals to the current budget committee to provide sector expertise. - He would implement, through the Auditor's Office, a comprehensive &...
Dear Editor, We believe local government (city & county) is where democracy works best. At the local level, you know the people better who are in office or who are running for office. It's reasonably clear to see who understands and cares most about us, about the community, and about local governmental function. Local issues and budgets can be and are discussed at a more intimate level; we the people can make our needs and ideas heard. At higher levels of government, we lose touch with our leaders, and they with us. We also believe party...
Dear Editor, I am supporting Mark Spinks for Walla Walla County Auditor, and urge you to vote for him, as well. Mark and I were co-workers at the County. Consequently, I know Mark is sincere in his desire and willingness to provide the taxpayers the extra mile of service. He fosters magnanimity among his co-workers and the public, and he always keeps his communication quotient high. These are two critical attributes for an Auditor, whose first line of duty is to provide oversight to the County's complex financial books and records. Mark has a...
Dear Editor, I have known Dain Nysoe for over 50 years. Since grade school he has been a leader with integrity and thoughtfulness. Dain is the most qualified of all the three candidates running for Columbia County Commissioner. He grew up in a farm and political family in Dayton and he has continued to tend his roots here while away and upon his return to Dayton. While away in college, military services and working in other local governments Dain gained much experience in how to work in the public sector, how to address tough questions and how...
I n recent months I've attempted to take up cake decorating as a hobby. The results have ranged from borderline professional (the only-slightly-mangled owl cake I made for my cousin's graduation) to screaminducing (the notorious Malformed Grayish-Purple Macaroni Flower Torte of Dooooom!) The good news is that most of my efforts, if not entirely appetizing, do seem to make the dog very happy as icing plops out the back of my decorating bag and onto the stickier-by-the-minute kitchen floor. I shou...
When I sit out on my deck in the evening, enjoying a beverage, I can look out on the hillside across the river and see the black skeletons of trees - lots of them. They were burned in the late summer of 2006 during the Columbia Complex Fire that burned up a big chunk of Columbia County. A couple of times this summer, I've heard one fall. We live in an area where the threat of wildfires is very real. Last week's Times we had a story of a small fire at Devil's Slide, on the south edge of...
Dear Editor, Over the past years, I have become increasingly fed up with our Congress and their getting nothing done. Never before have I supported a candidate, but recently one candidate has changed my mind. When I discovered Dave Wilson was running for the 5th Congressional District, I was quick to join his large group of supporters. Wilson is a man of integrity, a man of his word and a man of action. He has the desire and knowledge to lead us into much-needed change. His pledge not to accept any outside money and his limit on how much he...
Dear Editor, The recent Fourth of July celebrations were the perfect opportunity to reflect on our great country and the leaders of the Continental Congress that declared independence from a government that no longer allowed proper representation or consent of the governed. Our country's governance needs to be restored to a functional level that represents the rights, principles and needs of the constituents rather than big money and special interest groups. This can only be accomplished by leadership that has the integrity, motivation and inde...
Dear Editor, Be it deliberate or careless, I think Sheriff Turner's detractors have lost their situational awareness (e.g. 7/13 letter in U-B). The records prove Sheriff Turner builds coalitions; he does not divide them. He's bolstered the Search and Rescue team; he initiated the successful Sheriff's Foundation; he's improved communication by hosting quarterly meetings in four of our communities, and he's earned the respect and support of key leaders like Police Chief Chuck Fulton (ret.), and Police Chief Scott Beiber. As the writer eloquently...
Every single person has something wonderful to offer - and I believe that every person should have the opportunity and the ability to reach one's full potential. That's why I was proud to cast my vote for H.R. 803, the bipartisan, bicameral Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which works to reduce the skills gap for all Americans, and ensures individuals with disabilities have the tools they need to succeed in all workplaces - including those that provide competitive and integrated...
I spent last Sunday at the mall in the Tri-Cities. I've never been big on shopping, so when I do head to Columbia Center I tend to find myself in a detached state of social critique and scholarly observation. (At least, that's the excuse I sheepishly offer my friends when I leave a five-hour shopping trip empty-handed and they begin enviously eyeing my plump billfold.) Last Sunday, I learned that I was never meant to wear a maxi dress. In the best-case scenario, I look like a fluorescent twig....
