Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 1880 - 1904 of 2504
We bring you this editorial after the elections, but we wrote it before the results were in, on purpose. We wanted to make some points about this year's elections and elections in general - that aren't tied to the outcome, except for this: If your candidate(s) didn't win, well, such is the nature of democracy. There were more people who voted for the other can- didate and, despite the fact that there are isolated irregularities in every election, we can feel blessed we don't live in a country with such problems as widespread voter fraud,...
I am writing for your vote for Tom Bensel for Place 2 County Commissioner. I first met Tom at the Community Bible Church. My memory goes back to Vernon Marll, a former 20 year county commissioner. I once answered a phone call from Congressman Tom Foley since I lived at Vernon's during the summer between college semesters. Vernon spoke with the similar honesty, friendliness, open- ness as I have noticed with Mr. Bensel. Vernon was also a lifelong Republican and a member of the United Brethren Church. I live in Texas since the army stationed me...
I have never really con- sidered myself Democrat or Republican. Instead, I vote for the person because belief systems don't always fit nicely into one party or another. I have voted for just as many Democrats as Republicans. When it comes to local races, I pay even more attention to the person because I believe they have a greater impact on Walla Walla, the place I've called home most of my life. This November, I urge you to vote for Chris Blackman because she's a candidate who has a reputation for working hard, listening to others about what...
With the Nov. 6 elec- tion approaching I feel it is important that each voter examine the qualifications of the candidates and make a well-informed choice. As a taxpayer and resident of Wal- la Walla County for 39years, I, along with the rest of the community, have been fortu- nate to have fiscally respon- sible county commissioners elected to office throughout the years. For example, we presently have three individ- uals in office that have signed both sides of a paycheck and met that obligation with their own money. I feel very strongly that...
This letter will serve as a strong endorsement of Mike Talbott for position 2, Columbia County Com- missioner for the next four years. I have known Mike on a personal level since we were Green Giant Pre-graders back in the mid to late 1960s. After retiring from the WSU faculty in 2007 and moving to Dayton, I have gotten to know Mike again at that personal level, as well as a fellow member of the Columbia County Planning Commission for the last 4 years. I have seen how Mike works with others and how he addresses difficult issues with fairness...
I have had the pleasure of serving with Commissioner Perry Dozier while he was involved in the Washington Association of Wheat Grow- ers. I sat on the Executive Committee of WAWG, Perry was elected as a WAWG State officer. In preparation for a lobbying trip to Wash- ington DC, we both attended the Ambassador Training Program at Princeton where very valuable skills in com- municating with our federal lawmakers was the focus of the program. I have attended lobbying trips with Perry, both in Olympia and Wash- ington, D.C. and have found him to be...
I've known Perry my en- tire life and believe he has the right financial tools to help oversee the county's $55 mil- lion budget. The agriculture economy is very cyclical and planning for the future is critical for sustaining your business. My background in agriculture and commercial banking, 23 years, allow me to have an understanding of budgetary needs. Perry has held strong at keeping the county's current expense reserves at 25 percent, which is used for unexpected emer- gencies. For example, if one case of Tuberculosis happens in Walla...
Why am I running for State Senate? Throughout my life I have always been taught that when something is broken one should try to fix it. As a state employee I have seen things become more and more broken costing the working family more and more. The cur- rent way of doing in busi- ness in Olympia must be changed. My opponent has shown time and time again that he only has his eye on the people at the top and pays less and less attention to the little guy. The work- ing family, the actual small bus...
A t a recent Dayton City Council meeting, skateboarder Michael Milan described the city's skate park facility as a "second home." "I think the skate park is a good place where kids can go and relax," he said, explaining that he "went there all the time." Now, thanks to the thoughtful action of the Dayton City Council and involvement of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, Milan and at least a dozen other kids who enjoy the park can return there. We want to applaud the council, law enforcement representa- tives and the community for coming toge...
Chris Blackman is best candidate for Commissioner I would like to express my support for Chris Blackman's campaign to become County Commissioner for District #2 and give my reasons why: Chris has a diverse back- ground and education. When I first met her she was em- ployed by Washington State Division of Children's Ser- vices, more commonly referred to as Child Protective Services. She handled everything from families in poverty to families suffering from abuse or drug addiction. I was immediately impressed with her tenacity, energy, and...
When I first met Mike Talbott some 35 years ago, he impressed me with his honesty and dedication to his job. He is well read and keeps on business developments. He also has the ability to listen and hears and understands what people say to him .He keeps up with the latest world and regional events so he is able to make decisions whether it be for his successful farm, the downtown busi- ness he and his wife operated for ten years, or the other important positions he has held like the Dayton School Board, County Planning Commission or the...
For decades, Walla Walla County has been an agricultural economic based community and history has shown when agriculture is successful, the rest of our community benefits by cir- culating those dollars, over and over. Agriculture, in the broad sense, is the third highest employer in Walla Walla County and the second larg- est employer in Washington State. It is logical that the Walla Walla County Board of Com- missioners should have a member that is not only acutely aware of the issues relating to that specific eco- nomic base in our...
I recently listened to Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers talk about how the Afford- able Healthcare Act, also known as Obamacare, has increased health insurance rates. This isn't fair since it doesn't fully kick in until 2014. The fact is health insur- ance rates had been increasing annually prior to The Af- fordable Healthcare Act. My premiums were going up 15 percent or more every year for years and 39 percent the last year before I moved to Washington where I couldn't get health insurance at all because of a pre-existing condition! McMorris...
If you haven't watched the only televised debate that Rep. Cathy McMor- ris Rodgers would partici- pate in with Rich Cowan, I suggest you watch it on the internet: video.ksps.org/ video/2288981922 It is a shame that Rep. McMorris Rodgers was un- willing to do a debate in every one of her counties, as Mr. Cowan requested, in- stead of only two debates in Spokane. If she had debated in Walla Walla, I would have asked her why she signed a pledge of allegiance to Gro- ver Norquist, a pledge that many other Congresspeople who signed it have ended...
It's time to send someone to Congress from the 5th District who has richer and more varied life experience than the incum- bent, who is a career politician. Rich earned the rank of Eagle Scout in his youth and qualified for a pilot's license in high school. Rich Cowan worked his way through WSU by living in the Fire Station and working as a fireman and EMT. After receiving his BA and MS, he worked for KHQ-TV in Spokane for ten years. Then, in 1990 he took a big risk by starting the film production company North x Northwest which has made over...
A couple of weeks ago, about 30 representatives from charitable foundations in several states came to Dayton for a presentation by community leaders. The presentation was about how Dayton has transformed its downtown in the past 25 years. The bottom line in the presentation was that we were successful because the entities and agencies in our community were able to work together and get the funding necessary to com- plete this transformation. As budgets get squeezed, it will be important that we continue to work together to keep our county...
I wasn't surprised to learn the Union-Bulletin's en- dorsement of Johnson, Dozier, and Walsh. After all, the U-B rarely endorses anyone other than the incumbent. But I continue to be disappointed with the U-B's lack of fairness or actual reporting of the candidates' strengths. The U-B indicated that Walsh's opponent, Mary Ruth Edwards, had "no pub- lic service" yet she is a public school teacher and served this country as a Marine. The U-B criticized Mark Spinks for wanting to micromanage the budget, yet couldn't have the arrest of former...
Biography of Sen. Mike Hewitt Elected to the state Senate in 2000, 2004 and 2008, Senator Mike Hewitt rep- resents Washington's 16th Legislative District, a com- munity he has been connected to for a lifetime. Senator Hewitt's peers elected him to serve as Senate Republican Leader in 2005, a position he has held since that time. Prior to serving as leader Hewitt served as Senate Republi- can Whip, Majority Whip and Republican Assistant Whip. Senator Hewitt serves on several standing Senate...
Trick-or-treaters notwithstanding, these are scary times for some of our households. As the Times reported last week, more families are showing up at the local food bank needing basic support. Ac- cording to board members who run the Waitsburg Resource Center, 10 more families are stopping by regularly these days compared to the same period last year. That brings the number of neighbor families in need to 65, for a total of 157 people in Waitsburg alone. In Dayton, the local food bank puts its number of clients there at 160 per month. There...
In the photo accompany- ing the story "Bulldogs take Down Jaguars In Three" in the Oct. 11 issue of The Times, a Bulldog player was misidentified. She is Court- ney Mings....
Waitsburg Memorial Scholarship Fund In Memory Of Elmer Hays From: Dorne and Dorothy Hall Waitsburg Ambulance Service Memorials In Memory of Elmer Hays From: Luella Thompson, Dale & Ginny Linklater, Milan Lin- klater, Janet & Doug Beverly, Lois & Bill Cookston, Bill Dawes, Paula & Glenn LeVan, Dorothy Gehrke, Diana & Don Elder, Bob & Carol Hays, John & Susan Segraves and Maybelle Johanson...
Mike Talbott cares about our community and he has demonstrated his concern through his many years, past and present of community service and involvement. His work experience and board leadership has given him the tools to serve us extremely well as County Commissioner. Mike, a fiscally conservative Republican has served on the Dayton School Board for 17 years where he was chairman of the board several times. He has owned and operated a successful farming operation for many years and represented many of us farmers and landowners on the Colu...
Chris Blackman is by all comparisons the right choice for Walla Walla County Commissioner District 2. Throughout her 20 plus years of public service to our community she has always put the right issues in front. These are the issues that directly impact our families and the issues I know Chris Blackman will fight for. She is an independent thinker who is not afraid to question the status quo, especially when it is an injustice to others. Smart thinking is crucial if Walla Walla County wants to remain fiscally sound, while prioritizing w...
