Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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Dear Editor In the last two weeks, I have read two articles in The Times quoting Columbia County Commissioner Chuck Amerein, each of them a complete contradiction to the other. In the first article, “Commissioners approve $5,000 grant to The Club” printed Feb. 17,2022, Commissioner Amerein seems to suggest that funding could be withheld from this organization because they do not show sufficient patriotism by flying the American flag. He did not address the fact that The Club is a private non-profit organization providing a much-needed ser...
Dear Editor Regarding the February 9th meeting of the Commissioners of the Port of Columbia, as reported by Justin Jaech in the Waitsburg Times, “Port Commissioners Delay Decision on Childcare Proposal.” The purpose of the Port is to “work to create an environment that is attractive to business and industry. The Port of Columbia serves as the lead Economic Development agency for Columbia County, and uses infrastructure development, real estate management, transportation, small business assistance, and community outreach to create such an enviro...
To the Editor; In a recent County Commissioner’s meeting The Club requested a grant of $5,000. The Club is an organization that is filling a need in the community – they are teaching social and emotional learning, personal responsibility, and positive relationships with peers and adults, among other things. As an additional requirement of this grant being approved Mr. Amerein wants them to fly the flag – as he puts it, “What we are talking about right now, today, is the donation of public funds, from a public that feels a certain way about p...
Dear Waitsburg School District families and community: On behalf of the Waitsburg School Board of Directors and our entire school staff, I want to thank you for your unfailing support in ensuring our community’s children have the education and resources they deserve. With the passage of our district’s 2022 Educational Programs & Operations replacement levy, we will be able to continue to provide vital programming over the next two years for our students that basic education funding from the state does not cover. These essential programs fun...
Dear Editor, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to friends, The Times, Ten Ton Coffee, The Royal Block, and to The Times readership who inspire my writing habit. Your support through the release of my first book, Wingshooting the Palouse, has been humbling. The signing event hosted by The Royal Block last week will not likely be topped. I appreciate being a part of this community and all you do to make it great! Bradly A. Trumbo Dayton, Wash....
Reader Question: The very first thing I read each week upon receipt of the WT is 'Pioneer Portraits'. I always find it interesting and sometimes humorous. My curiosity was piqued with the 2-5-1897 report of Miss Cynthia Russell, committed to the insane asylum due to reading 'so many trashy novels'. Whatever became of Miss Russell? Or the family? As one suspected of occasionally reading a trashy novel or two, I'm curious as to the outcome of this sad event. Many thanks for publishing the always...
Character assassination? Let’s examine what character assassination looks like. During the last campaign, followers of your conservative group used images of me in the Sheriff’s Office to depict me as rummaging through the desks of deputies and stealing. This was deliberate and calculated. It was so egregious that our Sheriff and our Prosecuting Attorney had to issue a community wide statement correcting the attack on me. It was done to show me in a less than honest light, to attack my reputation and character. So please, spare me the whi...
Letter to Editor When recruiting new businesses or new community members, it is important to have several critical tools in your economic development toolbox; for Waitsburg Commercial Club, one of the tools that make Waitsburg a great place to work and live is our award-winning school district. On February 8, a Replacement Levy is on the ballot to maintain school programs and services that are not covered by state funding. This is not a new tax; it will replace the existing tax of approximately $3.50 per thousand dollar property assessed...
Dear Editor: In response to Vicki Zoller’s letter to ‘The Times’ on January 6, 2022... I was disheartened to see that mudslinging and character assassination were used to undermine Commissioner Charles Amerein’s posture regarding the broadband project. I heard Commissioner Amerein’s position statement on that, and it is apparent to me that Ms. Zoller is not being forthright in her depiction of it. Missing were statements made by Commissioner Amerein regarding the source of funding for said project, i.e....CARES act/ARPA funds. Commissio...
Letter to the Editor - I am writing to say THANK YOU to the two Columbia County Commissioners, Marty Hall, and Ryan Rundell, who stood up for their community now and for the future, by voting yes to provide money for the broadband project in our county. The launch of this project is critical to our community. Commissioners Hall and Rundell understand that. They see the importance of the project, and they see the future that so many in the community can see. So, again, thank you for resolving this prior to the year’s end. I am disappointed b...
Letter to the Editor - I am writing in support of our Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Joe Helm has created a strong team of Deputies that choose to serve and protect our county. THANK YOU ALL! It’s always easy to boo and hiss from the cheap seats. It’s always easy to hide behind a keyboard and post inflammatory statements or outright lies to social media. It’s easy to cherry pick incidents and use those random incidents to display law enforcement in a bad light. I rarely see those same people sharing all the positive deeds perform...
Dear Editor, Thanks to all those folks who helped clear and then reconstruct safe access to the library from the rear of the building. Fanny Weller originally donated the Bruce House for a City library, and is now remembered in the sculpture with children out front of the current library. I’m sure she would have appreciated their efforts. Sincerely, Roger Hevel...
Dear Editor: Each Thanksgiving it is important to pause and reflect on all that we have to be grateful for. Especially over the last nearly two years of COVID, we at the UW School of Medicine-Gonzaga University Health Partnership appreciate and are very thankful for the physicians and healthcare workers in Waitsburg, Dayton, Clarkston, and Pomeroy, who, despite unprecedented stress and hardship, continued to train our medical students. We desperately need more high-quality, well-trained physicians and we simply could not do it without the...
Dear Editor: The Friends of the Weller Library and Board of Trustees want to thank the volunteers who helped in a significant and successful concrete pour project in the back of the library on November 11. A sincere thanks to Louie and Marie Gagnon, Allen and Karen Huwe, Sherri Erickson, Victor Paolino, George Gagnon, John Langford, Brian Segraves, Nicole Gagnon and Terry Lawhead. We worked hard, had a good time together and provided for the future enjoyment and education of all ages of resident...
Thanks to the generosity of so many - at Waitsburg Presbyterian Church - and in our community! Saturday morning we filled 60 shoe boxes with sundry holiday gifts! From tooth brushes to pencils to socks to soccer balls. These boxes will be sent off later this month to children living in poorer countries far and wide. A couple of years ago our own Becky Huwe was witness to the delight of children receiving these gift boxes. She was on a medical mission in a village in Burundi (Africa) when these shoe boxes were delivered to the village church...
To the editor, In regards to the article (Port of Columbia candidate cuts ties with local conservative group, October 7, 2021) in the Waitsburg Times. While it has been sad to see the death of journalism at the national and state level for some time, it is sad to see it dying at the local level as well. According to my recollection, a more accurate account of events at the meeting, Mr. Miller mentions to me, and should include, his threats to use firearms against Covid infected individuals, something with which we disagree. While your...
Columbia County Needs Positive, Nonpartisan, Inclusive, Qualified Candidates I received a flyer identifying “Columbia County Conservatives” (CCC) endorsing Conservative candidates for Dayton City Council, Port of Columbia and Dayton School Board positions. This political group professes that over the 200+ years since our country’s founding, the US has done remarkably well living up to the goals improving the human condition, free from rule by a person, or body, not beholden to the people. But, we’re a representative government, “By The Peopl...
Dear Editor, I have long been a proponent of “We can do together what I cannot do alone.” These words harken back to the days gone by when peoples banded together to form business associations such as the Chamber of Commerce or the Granges that dotted the rural landscapes of the United States. Today we have a pivotal election in the next week. I support Boe Stevenson, Fred Crowe, Teeny McMunn, and write-in candidate Vickie Zoller for Dayton City Council. I have known these folks since I came to Dayton several years ago. They have shown the typ...
This year there are two candidates for mayor of Waitsburg: Kate and Marty. Both Marty and Kate have served on the Waitsburg City Council and have experience with various related committees. Both have experience dealing with the positive and negative sides of public opinion. It has been my experience that both Kate and Marty are very approachable and relatively easy to contact. I’ve found both willing to listen to concerns as well as discuss issues. Anyone who has had the pleasure of conversing with Marty and Kate has likely noticed d...
Letter to the Editor: We are just a few days away from another local election and we have an opportunity to make some truly good and thoughtful choices for leaders in our community. We have an opportunity to elect people that have been active members in this community through volunteer roles, through board and committee roles and through other public participation roles. These are people that have shown up year after year in so many ways in Dayton and Columbia County. They make things happen, they are a part of yearly successful events like Day...
This will be the last week of letters to the editor before the election. I hope that all of you will be voting. I am hoping that Dayton will be moving to a more positive and open attitude in all areas. Therefore, my candidates of choice are: Boe Stephenson, Fred Crowe, Teeny McMunn, Shawn Brown , Jack Miller and Vicki Zoller. I know all of them- some just a bit and others, I consider friends. However, all of them have earned my respect and my vote. I believe that all of them will look at both sides of every issue and make decisions to help...
As a former small business owner in Dayton, I am writing to express my earnest support for the Positively Dayton slate of candidates. When I set up shop in Dayton about 16 years ago, I did so, inspired by our civic leaders’ can-do, positive outlook in Dayton. Now, I see dark storm clouds of negativity, suppression of economy-boosting efforts, and opposition to innovation in our community. I, and others like me who care about our town, must support candidates who will continue to move our hometown forward. Once again, I urge you also to s...
Elections tend to be a confusing time for me. Sometimes a friend may be running for office or there may be other people I don’t know. This year has been different because of the fake information issues and hateful commentary! I promised myself that I would not vote for angry candidates, or candidates without positive visions or platforms for the community I love and have chosen to live in. Platforms are created by local people, then go to county, state and national levels and candidates must have an understanding of their Party’s Platform to...
To Our Community: I am writing in support of Blue Mountain Sation. We visited the BMS Coop last summer before purchasing our home in Dayton. I was happily surprised to find a coop let alone one that offers wonderful meals. Experiences the Coop and meeting Val made Dayton all the more inviting. Since then, we have enjoyed the other unique businesses at BMS including Mama Monacelli’s. Blue Mountain Station is a community resource bringing people together in celebration of food, music and local businesses. If you didn’t stop by for Okt...
Dear Editor, Masks, vaccine mandates and the fear of returning to online schooling - this is a challenging time for our schools. In one to two years, I hope these issues are behind us. With four-year school board terms, leaders must be playing the long game. What I want to hear from school board candidates is the bigger picture - how in this volatile time he or she will step up into a leadership role to build relationships, create a supportive school culture and enhance communication. I want to hear the action steps they will take toward...
