Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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Dear Editor, Matt Stroe will be a strong sheriff that will serve with honesty and dignity. Matt started his criminal justice career as a juvenile corrections officer, completing the state academy in 2006. Sheriff Humphreys hired Matt in June 2007 as a deputy sheriff. After months of field training Matt was cleared to patrol prior to going to police academy in the late fall of 2007. At police academy, Matt completed all but the last two-and-a-half weeks of a 20-week academy in 2008 before he was injured by an overzealous instructor during...
Dear Editor, Dain Nysoe will be a good county commissioner. His educational background in business and public administration are perfect for the job. He’s a local boy and knows the community. Also, spending the last seven years on the Dayton City Council has given him plenty of experience in local politics. He was involved in the decision to consolidate planning, inspection and compliance services with the county. This has saved thousands of dollars for both the county and the city. Having a good working relationship with the city and county w...
Dear Editor, I am the wife of a United States Marine and a Sheriff’s Deputy. In years past, I watched my husband mount up and go to war. I knew he was fighting alongside the best men America had to offer and I knew the leadership he served under was well prepared, experienced, and qualified to get the mission accomplished. Now I watch my husband go out shift after shift and proudly serve the citizens of Walla Walla County. Like his combat deployments, I know my husband is working with an assortment of exceptional men and women and has l...
Dear Editor, From the time I was a young girl, I can remember my parents expressing the importance of having strong morals and values. I knew in my teenage years that I wanted to become a police officer. It was from that moment on that everything I did mattered. I am a woman of integrity, honor, dignity, pride, respect, compassion and so much more. When I became a police officer, I took an oath to be held to a higher standard – to embody these morals each and everyday. Two years ago, I was promoted to a leadership position. I quickly learned h...
Dear Editor, I am seeking those that might have information or are related to Francis (Frank Cleveland) Winder. My Grandfather, Frank, was born in June 1888 in Garfield, WA. He passed away in October 1953 at Walla Walla and is buried at the Dayton Cemetery. His first wife was Leona Van Blaricom – her name at time marriage was spelled, Lena Van Blaran-. Frank and Leona were married in October 1910. Their divorce was in 1915. Frank again married in 1915 to Ethel Smith, and again in 1925 to Lola Myrick (Wilson) both in Dayton. Frank and Leona h...
Dear Editor, I have had the great fortune of knowing Matt Stroe for 20 years. I’ve lived in the Walla Walla valley for 22 years and was able to meet Matt my second year here. Matt has been a positive presence my life since I first met him! He has coached football, as well as track and field at Wa-Hi and done so with enthusiasm, a strong work ethic, worked well with both coaching staffs, and had an innate ability to relate to kids and establish positive, professional relationships. “Coach Stroe” has an energy that is contagious and it sprea...
Dear Editor, Walla Walla County is at a pivotal point in our history. We have seen an influx of tourism, and along with it we have a booming economy. We have three well-respected colleges. We have great healthcare. We have a strong agricultural sector, world-renowned wineries, and a growing industrial complex. Our community has deservingly earned national recognition for our quality of life, atmosphere, and demeanor. However, we are also seeing an increasing influx of criminality and social problems. Street gangs, mental health crises, and the...
Dear Editor, I’m a deputy’s wife who enthusiastically endorses Mark Crider for Sheriff, because he is a kind, man of integrity with unparalleled law enforcement experience. I was immediately impressed with Mark Crider, because he is a good guy. He’s nice, humble, likeable and realistic. Crider grew up in a small town, and, like me, was drawn to Walla Walla County to return to a small community. My impression over time, is that he is intelligent, fiscally responsible and has always done the right thing in his personal and professional life....
Dear Editor, My relationship with Matt Stroe began when I was elected as County Commissioner in 2008. Matt was hired by past sheriff Mike Humphreys, who I had the privilege to work with for two years. As Matt was recovering from a serious knee injury he obtained in the training academy in 2008, Sheriff Humphreys assigned Matt to light duty deputy where he assisted detectives on cases and alleviated the paperwork duties of the deputies. When I took office as a commissioner and visited all the elected and department heads, Matt’s enthusiasm a...
Dear Editor, I am a Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Deputy wife and I endorse Mark Crider for Sheriff. I am also a School Counselor and former Walla Walla Public School employee. School safety is always a concern of mine and unfortunately is in our everyday world. While working for the Walla Walla Public Schools, I felt the district was constantly communicating with local law enforcement on school safety procedures and then each school would prepare (as best as one can) for a possible crisis situation. In these crisis situation, a person needs t...
Dear Editor, My name is Eric Bridgeland. I am the head men’s basketball coach at Whitman College. Our program stands for character, integrity, community service, servant leadership, common sense, and fostering leaders that will depart Whitman to make a positive difference in our world. In part, I have just described Matt Stroe. I have known Matt Stroe for 6 years. I have witnessed firsthand, all the traits and actions listed above from his service to our College. Matt Stroe CARES. He cares about making a difference. He would literally give y...
Dear Editor, The responsibilities of County Commissioners is varied but none is more important than the assembling and overseeing of the expense budget of the County. Dain Nysoe is the candidate for Columbia County Commissioner more qualified to be able this handle this task. The budget for Columbia County is millions of taxpayer dollars and it is vital we elect someone with the background and ability to understand the finances of the County. Dain is the right person for this position. His background in business and economics qualifies him to...
Dear Editor, As this season unfolds, I unfortunately hear more and more inaccurate information about the candidates for Sheriff. Due to this, I feel compelled to share with our community, so they may make an informed choice. Mr. Stroe was hired as a deputy by Sheriff Humphreys in 2007. Matt attempted and did not graduate from the basic police academy on two separate occasions. Upon my taking office in 2011, the Criminal Justice Training Commission advised that Stroe had not achieved state certified peace officer status due to not successfully...
Dear Editor, I support Mark Crider for Sheriff. Mark is not your average administrator. One of the first interactions I had working with Mark Crider in the field was while responding to a drunk driver, who had attempted to flee into Oregon from College Place Police. As I responded to the area, I heard the dreaded sound no patrol officer wants to hear as they respond to a call…… The sound of an administrator calling over the radio that they are on scene. Instantly your day is ruined. You know exactly how it’s going to go. You are going to pull...
Dear Editor Walla Walla and law enforcement are in my blood. My uncle, Arthur Klundt, was Sheriff of Walla Walla County in the 1960s and 1970s. My cousin, Kenneth “Buzz” Klundt, was Sheriff in the early 1980s. They inspired me to pursue a career in law enforcement, which I started at the Walla Walla County Jail in 1983. In 1984, I became a deputy with the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office. By March of 1985 I had transferred to the Washington State Patrol, where I’ve spent the last 33 years. The last 23 years of my career have been spent w...
Dear Editor, “He’s not from here.” “He didn’t go to Wa-Hi.” “He doesn’t even have a 509-area code.” “I don’t know him, so I’m not voting for him.” These are all comments I’ve seen on social media or heard in public sphere regarding Mark Crider and the current race for Sheriff. The insinuation is that since Mark wasn’t born here, didn’t attend local schools, and has a different phone number, he isn’t capable of being our next Sheriff. As an immigrant by way of the United Kingdom, I find this way of thinking ridiculous. The idea that somebod...
Dear Editor, I’ll be the first to admit it. When Mark Crider first stepped into the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office last Fall to interview for the position of Chief Criminal Deputy, I was skeptical. Who was this FBI agent from the Spokane Field Office? Sure, he’d been involved with our Office over the last few years providing tactical and firearms training to some of our members, but what made him think he could come on down and help lead our agency forward? Well after Mark opened his mouth and spoke for about thirty seconds, I ate a big pi...
Dear Editor, Two years ago, Sheriff Turner approached me and asked me a question about the next new hire. His question to me was “would you trust this guy in a gun fight; would he stand by you or run?” Little did I know he asked the deputies the same about me when I was hired. I thought about the three candidates running for Sheriff and asked myself the same question, which is why I am choosing to endorse Mark Crider. Not so much for the gun fight situation, though it wouldn’t hurt, since he is a firearms instructor. But I know he would suppo...
(Editor’s note: We received this letter this week from a young reader with a special connection to Waitsburg, and we are very pleased to publish his letter.) Dear Mr. Graham, My name is Sean William Stonecipher Sollars and I’m in the 6th grade. My mom is Suzanne Stonecipher-Sollars and she grew up in Waitsburg. I’m a Boy Scout and pleased to write about one of my Boy Scout stories. I am working on my communication merit badge, and this is one of the things I’m required to do! As a small kid, all I wanted was to be a Boy Scout like my cousins...
Dear Editor, Matthew J Stroe is one of my favorite people. He and his wife, Elizabeth, share the same family values my wife, Jessica, and I do. His devotion to service and community in Walla Walla County is unparalleled. Wherever and whenever he is part of something, he throws his whole self into it. I first met Matt when I was a security officer at Whitman College and he became the new director. I had the rare opportunity of training my new boss. We agreed that security should be visible and approachable in all areas of campus. Thus, while...
Dear Editor, In my ministry, I’ve always tried to stay out of politics and publicly voicing my personal political inclinations. Why? Because I feel that my main job is to bring people together and to share the love of Jesus. The political arena can be a divisive area and can lean more on the individualistic rather than the whole, and that’s a tough area to navigate as a pastor. However, my wife and I recently placed our first-ever political sign in our front yard, and we were asked the question “What is it about this person that you feel so pa...
Dear Editor, I’m writing to express my ardent support for Matt Stroe as a candidate for sheriff of Walla Walla County. I met Matt as a student at Whitman College while working for the Security Department in a work study position. Matt is an outstanding director of security. He found innovative ways to improve safety on campus and gained the trust of students in a way that facilitated a to-my-knowledge unprecedentedly positive relationship between the student body and security. Outside of his accomplishments for the Security Department, Matt w...
By Jennie Dickinson and Kathryn Witherington, Port of Columbia One of the significant advantages of having new industries invest in a community is the potential of an increased tax base. In Columbia County, we have already seen the effects of this from one important industry – renewable energy. Before the wind industry invested in Columbia County, our tax base was just over $286 million. Ten years later, our tax base has risen to $868 million. This is an increase of 227%. For comparison, Walla Walla County experienced an 86% tax base i...
By Don C. Brunell Editor’s Note: The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday, after this column was written, that it had deadlocked 4-4 (with Justice Kennedy abstaining) on the Washington culvert case, and therefore the lower court ruling will stand. While much of the media buzz over declining salmon runs focuses on dam removal and predation by sea lions and cormorants, the U.S. Supreme Court is asked to decide whether Washington State needs to spend an additional $2.4 billion to replace more road culverts. In 2001, Western Washington Tribes sued c...
By Don C. Brunell Editor’s Note: Don Brunell is a regional business columnist who works out of Vancouver, Wash. This column will appear in newspapers throughout the state this week. Here’s a switch! Rather than closing another pulp and paper mill, a new one is under construction right here in Washington. Columbia Pulp’s plant on the Snake River will use a new technology that pulls cellulose out of the abundant straw left over from wheat and alfalfa harvests. The $184 million plant near Dayton is scheduled to open later this year. Tradi...
