Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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Dear Editor, Upon reading Mr. Davison’s letter to the editor in the Sept 5th edition, I wanted to add another perspective. While Mr. Davison makes some valid points I will say upfront that I have a difference in opinion. I would prefer to see the City Hall remain at its current location and make only the renovations required to make it a safe and functional facility. We don’t need to do a total renovation/restoration in the short term, we can budget for and do further renovations over time, something along the lines of a 10 year plan. The...
When I returned to The Times in January of this year, it was with the goal and intent of helping new publisher Lane Gwinn and The Times staff achieve a shared vision of what The Times should and could be. In my first editorial of this year I wrote, “Our hope is that our readers walk away from each issue with something new to think about, talk about or apply to daily life.” I think we have accomplished that goal, and I hope that you, our readers, do as well. It is with some regret, that I ann...
Dear Editor, As a resident of Columbia County since 2010 and an avid cyclist in both Columbia County and Walla Walla County, I would like to make my voice heard in support of the Touchet Valley Trail. The trail as it is proposed is much needed. As a cyclist who often finds themselves on Highway 12 between Waitsburg and Dayton, I can say with authority that riding a bicycle on Highway 12 is both scary and dangerous. There are alternate routes for a cyclist to take. Those routes add miles and themselves are on roads frequented by large hauling...
Dear Editor and Waitsburg City Leaders, There are many arguments for keeping City Hall where it is, and the same can be said for moving to the former Jehovah’s Witness location. Most for keeping the current location deal with historical issues/opinions rather than practical ones, though this would not be the first time City Hall has been re-located. One of the arguments against moving has been the risk of another flood. My guess is adequate storage of records could be found to keep them safe in the event of another major flood. If there is a n...
By Andrea Weckmueller-Behringer Planning gives shape to, and documents, the vision of the desired future; as such, planning includes weighing possible options and alternatives, analyzing impacts and benefits, assessing potential challenges and obstacles, formulating strategies and actions, and seeking out funding and other resources. Currently, this very process is also being applied to the Touchet Valley Trail – envisioned as a paved multi-use pathway – connecting the cities of Dayton and Waitsburg. This proposed trail project was the hig...
Dear Editor: In response to the Letter to the Editor submitted by Melissa Bryan and Caitlyn Robins regarding the Dayton Chamber of Commerce board, I would like to share my experience and what I have observed. Melissa Bryan was, by far, the most difficult chamber director in over 28 years. Working for Bette Lou Crothers (Chamber Board Member), we have taken on many extra duties during All Wheels Weekend and the months preceding. These duties include stuffing packets, stamping, folding, selling shirts/merchandise/raffle tickets, and helping with...
While drones are coming of age in firefighting, they are also establishing a foothold in restoring fire-scorched forests. Firefighting drones grabbed the spotlight last April 15 as viewers around the world watched Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris go up in flames. It has stood for over 850 years, through wars, natural disasters, and everything in between including the fire. At first, it appeared the iconic building would be completely destroyed; however, French firefighters used thermal vision drones to direct their hoses and get an upper hand of...
Dear Editor, The Club’s six-week summer program wrapped up on August 2, 2019, and all indications are that it was a resounding success. Many area agencies and organizations played a huge role in that success. Columbia County Health System, Columbia County Transportation, Columbia County Public Health, Columbia County Fire District #3, Columbia County Rural Library District, The Liberty Theater, Friends of the Dayton Community Pool, Blue Mountain Counseling, Prescott Parks & Rec District, YWCA of Walla Walla, Lewis & Clark State Park, and the U...
Dear Editor, How do you make change in an organization you have no way of holding accountable? How do you make a statement heard around the community? You resign. You stop accepting the status quo - stop doing the same things while expecting a different result. We as employees of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce can no longer accept a lack of training, negligible participation, and ignorance surrounding the daily operations of the Chamber from our Board of Directors. With this letter we hope to bring to light some of the issues affecting the...
More battery-operated cars and trucks are making their way onto streets and highways, so why not trains? That may not be too far off if BNSF tests are successful. BNSF Railway and Wabtec (formerly GE Transportation) are developing a battery-electric high-horsepower road locomotive--the type that moves freight trains between Seattle and Chicago. Once all the equipment and support systems are in place, the plan is to run tests between Stockton and Barstow, California, (350 miles) beginning in late 2020. BNSF and other railroads are already using...
Dear Editor, Our heartfelt thanks to all who helped put our wheat fire out last Thursday afternoon. The McCaws...
Dear Editor, Heartfelt thanks go out to fire districts and local farmers who responded to our fire this Thursday off the middle Waitsburg Road. With winds and wheat crop fueling the fire, our ranch homestead and buildings were surrounded by flames, and the selfless actions of the volunteer fire crews and farmers are the only reason the homestead was left unscathed. Fire districts in Walla Walla and Columbia counties as well as area farmers, please know how much we appreciate you and the time and effort you dedicate to this area to keep us...
Dear Editor, Last week’s column by Don Brunell tries to address the challenges we share in providing adequate energy supplies but is a disservice to the aggressive efforts of Washington state citizens, businesses and elected officials in developing efficient lasting solutions. By rewriting selected negative news reports on recent legislative decisions in Sweden and ignoring numerous other factors relevant to our very difficult energy choices, he feeds the often promoted attitude that industrialized countries must simply stop progressive policie...
Sweden and Washington State are very similar. Both have strong “green” movements and are quickly moving to eliminate all carbon-emitting fuels from cars and power plants. The caution for Washington elected officials is not to jam through hastily mandate programs which have significant unintended consequences such as has happened recently in Sweden. Washington and Sweden are aggressively working to put more electric vehicles on the road. Transportation is Washington State’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, but our GHG levels are p...
While nearly all communities depend on volunteerism in some form or another, I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that small towns like Dayton and Waitsburg would fail to function without the concern and dedication of the many volunteers that help keep them running. Once one begins brainstorming all the volunteer-based organizations, programs and even individuals that take care the many needs in our communities, it’s hard to find an end to the list. It is our local firemen, board, committee and club members, event organizers and “just...
Dogs are loving companions, watchdogs, hunting buddies and important members of our families. They are also part of the community and can have a significant impact on the relationships between neighbors, city employees and government representatives. The responsibility we have as dog owners extends not just to our dogs’ welfare but to our community as well. No one loves the sound of barking dogs, no one feels safe walking their street if an unleashed dog shows aggressive, potentially dangerous behavior and no one likes to step in anything a d...
With all of the attention on the 50th anniversary of the Lunar landing, many are looking ahead to the next half century of space exploration. Of particular interest is returning to the Moon which may come as early as 2024. For example, Boeing is working on the replacement for the Saturn 5 rocket which lifted the Apollo space capsules into orbit. The centerpiece of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) is the heavy-lift rocket being built to safely carry people and cargo back to the Moon and hopefully, on to Mars. One of the leading proponents of r...
Dear Editor, Waitsburg is called, “One of a Kind”, and from the turnout of volunteers for this year’s Traffic Safety Coalition/the Department of Walla Walla County Community Health Bicycle Rodeo, I couldn’t agree more. Except this year we were joined by many other groups in the area. Volunteers included: The Bicycle Barn, The Christian Motorcycle Association Bikers in Prayer, The Waitsburg Resource Center (Food Bank), The Waitsburg Christian and Presbyterian churches, State Patrol Officer Grandstaff, the Waitsburg School District, parents...
It’s a story I’ve heard too many times in my own life and in the lives of the many small business owners I meet: Person grows up in a small town. Person moves to a city or urban area for college or work. Person yearns to return to the small-town life they love or return to raise their children in the same environment they grew up. However, a lack of job opportunities makes this American Dream unattainable. While it’s heartening to see many of our region’s major metropolitan areas flourish in this unprecedented booming economy, we need to incl...
A column by Gary Hofer All the world is in a curious Babel. Images of trouble flash and tumble and fears rumble. Those who desire power call with ever-greater urgency for more. Yet all the while the world rolls on, never missing a day or an hour. The sun comes up, the chickens cackle and the mourning dove calls. Switch-on harvest; time of gathering, the beginning of preparations for winter, the heartbeat of an ancient rhyme of seasons and work, a song of the gifts of nature and a miracle of earth, rain, soil and sun; where a single seed...
Last week I was reminded that just because I am an avid reader of newspapers and the owner and publisher of this newspaper, I am not a reporter. This hit me when I opened the July 11 Times and found an error I was completely responsible for. First, by giving incorrect information to the managing editor, Dena Martin, then not proofreading the final story before it went to print. As I said, I am not a reporter. I am, however, a publisher so I am printing my first correction: The article "Patriot's Parade Begins with a Dare" states that Anita...
Shortly, after Apollo 11 landed on the moon and astronaut Neil Armstrong took his famous first steps on the dusty lunar surface, some comedian in our army unit at Ft. Knox, KY, posted a sign in our barracks: “Sorry, Drill Sgt., No Green Cheese!” Our basic training drill instructor was already “highly agitated” because President Richard Nixon ordered a “training holiday” so we could watch live television coverage of landing. On July 20, 1969, our unit was supposed to take what was called “Military Stakes.” That test would determine if we...
What happens in China, doesn’t always stay in China. In fact, when it comes to tough new garbage and recycling restrictions, they may migrate elsewhere sooner than you might think. For example, Shanghai is one of the world’s largest cities with 26.9 million people. It is suffocating under mountains of trash its residents generate daily. It lacks an effective recycling and disposal system. “Instead, it has trash pickers to sift through the waste, plucking out whatever can be reused,” The Economi...
Dear Times Staff, Please note the change of address as of August 1. I am writing to tell you how much I am enjoying the newspaper since you have taken it over. What a great job you are doing. The layout is beautiful, and the content is so thoughtful. There is a wonderful energy to the paper now which is reflective of the people that live in the area. My family had a real presence on Main Street and in the area when we lived there. My mom and dad had the TV/electronics shop in the Plaza, the first cable TV to people. The speakers on top of the...
When my parents graduated from high school in 1936, a college education was too expensive for the son of a copper miner and the daughter of a plumber. Eighty years ago, our country was in the middle of the Great Depression and teens took odd jobs to help put food on the table and pay the family bills. In those days no bank would lend money to college students. Following World War II, there was new hope for veterans, The GI bill paid for veterans to complete their college or trade school education. My father, for example, graduated from trade...
