Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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Dear Editor, Over the past several years, the Sheriff’s Office has experienced a considerable amount of controversary in the administration of the office. In addition, the controversaries have divided the deputy’s loyalties which I believe to be a dangerous situation, especially in law enforcement. In 2015, under the term of the current Sheriff, the County Commissioners determined it would be in the best interest of the county to create a Department of Corrections and remove the jail responsibilities from the Sheriff. For the first time in the...
Dear Editor, In my 35 years with the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office, I’ve worked my way through the ranks serving as a deputy, corporal, and sergeant. Four Sheriff’s have served during my time at the WWSO and all were highly qualified, trained, and more than capable of doing the job. One was born and raised in Walla Walla; three others were not. All served very well in the position and left the office better than when they arrived. I have a long view of the office and that is why I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that Mark Cride...
Dear Editor, Myself, City Council and City Staff for the City of Waitsburg would like extend our appreciation to all the local fire crews for coming to the aid of Fire District #2 recently to help extinguish the structural fires burning on Main Street here in Waitsburg. Without aid to our local fire department from the surrounding area fire districts, this fire could have been much worse and ultimately extended to the rest of Main Street including Waitsburg City Hall; causing much more damage than it did. It a good feeling to know that there...
Dear Editor, After attending the Dayton High School Youth and Government Columbia County Candidate Debate, and the AAUW Candidates Forum, it became clear to me that both candidates for Columbia County Commissioner have a sincere desire to serve the county and both candidates have considerable qualifying experience. Chuck Amerein’s participation and leadership experience in extremely high-stress military assignments as Airborne Ranger in Panama, Green Beret in Iraq, and Security Contractor in Iraq, has given him an extraordinary background in l...
Dear Editor, It is with great pleasure that I fully endorse Dain Nysoe for Columbia County Commissioner. I find Dain intelligent and honest with an exceptional work ethic. His experience with local government is well known and he is presently serving as a Dayton City Council member. He serves on the Financial Committee and has exhibited exceptional fiscal responsibility regarding the city. Dain is committed to the community and concerned with the advancement and development of Columbia County. He has made a concerted effort to reach out to the...
Dear Editor, I was pleased to see a recent article in the Spokesman Review regarding how the tax cuts benefit the middle class. It is time people hear the truth about the tax cut instead of the many misconceptions and biased reports. Not one but three trustworthy accountants backed the claim that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are saving middle class Americans money. One of them stated, “some people will pay more, some will pay less...for simple returns, people are saving money.” I am retired middle class and have benefitted from the cut...
Dear Editor, Matt Stroe is the embodiment of what it is to be a community leader. I have known Matt for many years and I am impressed by his commitment to service in our community. Since his time at the Sheriff’s began over eleven years ago, Matt has donned the robe and face paint to be the Grim Reaper for the Every15 Minute Program put on to educate and detour underage drinking and driving. Upon leaving the Sheriff’s Office, Matt continued to volunteer his time each year to the program because he believed in the cause. Anthony Wenham Wal...
Dear Editor, During Mark’s first month as undersheriff at the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office, he made it a point to attend roll calls and ride-along with different deputies. During the roll calls, Mark allowed deputies to ask him questions about his views on leadership, his life, the direction he wants to take the sheriff’s office, and anything else that came to mind. Mark was open and honest throughout these conversations. I, along with several of my squad mates, appreciated his willingness to speak with us candidly on various topic...
Dear Editor, I am writing about the recent FEMA road construction that has been taking place here in Dayton. This April I was overjoyed to receive a letter stating that there would be road repair going on around town, including near where I live on East Patit Avenue. In May they did repair on the sewer lines/electrical on my road, and I was preparing for the official construction to begin when it suddenly all stopped. I read in the newspaper that they were going to continue construction later in the summer – only that never happened. All of t...
Dear Editor, I am writing this letter to voice my support for Cathy Loftus Shochet to be our next Columbia County Treasurer. I have known Cathy from the time she was in school with our kids, and now I know her on a professional basis. She’s in her third year as Columbia County Deputy Treasurer. I’m the treasurer for our Senior Center, which is also a County department, so I have contact with her on a regular basis. I think she has a great work ethic. I have found her to be knowledgeable and efficient with a pleasant professional attitude. I’v...
Dear Editor, An advertisement for the Stroe candidacy appeared in the Union-Bulletin on Sept. 17. This announcement touted the many volunteer hours Mr. Stroe has put into the community, his time at the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office, and his current position as Director of Security at Whitman College. The ad then stated, “The most powerful person elected is a Sheriff – you should know the person you are voting for!” The implication being that the voters of this county don’t know who Mr. Stroe’s opponent is. I find this puzzling, b...
Dear Editor, Community vitality is essential. Without it we jeopardize our future. If you ask your friends what it means, you will hear a variety of answers. Jobs, careful use of public funds, support for new and existing business opportunities are essential to our future. I believe in supporting Dain Nysoe for County Commission. He will foster community vitality so we not only survive, but thrive. Back when I managed Seafirst Bank here, I got the opportunity to do home loans after some training; I was excited because I could see how it would h...
Dear Editor, I have known Dain Nysoe and his family since we were classmates in grade school. Since then, he has served his country and this community for many years, always willing to listen and to do what is best and necessary. Nysoe knows the issues facing this region. He understands the need to plan for the future while respecting the past, and he deeply cares about the land and the people. He knows how to work with both the City and the County government to solve problems and to create opportunities for the community. Being a County...
Last spring, Boeing revealed its proposed hypersonic passenger airliner, which would fly much higher and faster than the Concorde-the only previous supersonic commercial airplane. For reference, supersonic jets fly over the speed of sound (660 mph or Mach 1), while hypersonics surpass Mach 5 or 3,800 mph. Boeing told the annual American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics conference held in Atlanta that its sleek new airplanes would travel at Mach 5, enabling them to cross the Atlantic...
Dear Editor, My professional law enforcement career has been spent patrolling the highways of the great State of Washington. Twenty-five of my 33-and-a half-years with the Washington State Patrol have been spent serving and protecting the citizens of this great county. Being a Walla Wallan is, literally, in my blood. My uncle, Art Klundt, was Sheriff of Walla Walla County for 16 years. His son, my cousin, Kenneth, was Sheriff for four years. I was born and raised in Walla Walla. In my 56 years, I’ve had both successful and failing attempts a...
Dear Editor, Dain and I would like to thank everyone who stopped by the “Nysoe for County Commissioner” booth at the recent Columbia County Fair. It was great to be on the main fairway to see and greet so many people. The weather was perfect, and while Dain was busy listening to people express their thoughts about problems in the county, I had a fun time giving out honey sticks with little notes on them saying “BEE WISE, VOTE FOR NYSOE” Some of the kids came back many times, getting a handful for their “brother,” and that was great because we...
Dear Editor: I write urging readers to vote for Dain Nysoe as Columbia County Commissioner. As noted by previous writers, Dain Nysoe is uniquely qualified by his education, his leadership in economic development, and by his keen perspective on our county as a fourth-generation resident. To get things done as a county-level leader today, these factors are necessary and important. And so is character. I know Dain well. As cousins, we grew up together on what was a larger Donohue farm during the 1950s and 60s. We hauled hay, drove trucks and...
Dear Editor, Please elect Everett Maroon to represent the 16th Legislative District in Olympia. A 1992 graduate of Syracuse University, he is devoted to public service and is eminently qualified to serve. Before moving to Walla Walla, Maroon was the lead manager for ORC Macro’s Interface Design and Evaluation Group, responsible for the transition of many public health and health research systems to the internet. In 2003, he won the company’s Employee of the Year Award. Maroon is now the executive director of Blue Mountain Heart to Heart. Und...
Dear Editor, This is a letter of thanks and acknowledgement. We staff members at Booker Rest Home were overjoyed with how our wonderful community pulled together to help our residents. On Friday, Sept. 7, BRH (Booker Rest Home) was able to take 21 residents to the Columbia County Fair. This was an unprecedented number of residents to go on an outing. This feat would have been impossible without the support of the Columbia County Fair Board. The Fair Board accommodated the various needs of our residents and staff to make this a successful...
Dear Editor, My family and I are proud to support Matthew J. Stroe for Walla Walla County Sheriff. I strongly encourage my friends and supporters to vote for Matt Stroe. I worked with Matt for many years at the Sheriff’s Office. During his tenure with Walla Walla Sheriff’s Office, Matt gained the experience and knowledge necessary to be an effective Sheriff. He served honorably as a Deputy Sheriff for four years and as a Crime Analyst for two more years. Matt offers a diverse background in law enforcement where he has been cross-trained fro...
Dear Editor I am writing this letter in support of Dain Nysoe for Columbia County Commissioner. His educational background in business and public administration are perfect for the job. His management of the family farming operation has informed him of the needs of the agricultural community. His tenure on the Dayton City Council has informed his knowledge of how city government runs and the challenges people who live in Dayton face. I’ve always known Dain to be thoughtful and fair and believe he will be a great commissioner for everyone in C...
Dear Editor, In 2015, I was a Corrections Sergeant at the Walla Walla County Jail. During that time, the Commander position became vacant and the Sheriff’s Office was trying to find a qualified person to fill the position. I was asked if I had thought about advancing my career at the jail. I asked if they were talking about applying for the Commander position. The response I was given was yes. My response was “that job takes more experience than the seven years I have.” At that time, I had successfully graduated two corrections acade...
Dear Editor, In November, Columbia County voters will elect a county commissioner for District 3. Outside of politics (since this is not a partisan position and decisions taken by our commissioners do not involve political viewpoints), how do we decide who is the best qualified? The most important part of being a county commissioner is approving the county budget and overseeing its spending across every department in the county. Without a background or knowledge of accounting, this would be almost impossible to understand, let alone manage. We...
I want to first take the opportunity to assure City of Waitsburg residents that our current situation with the wastewater treatment plant is not something to panic about. Yes, the pressing system needs to be replaced, but no, we will not be dumping directly into the river; in fact, that would never be an option. Nor are you going to have to stop flushing your toilets anytime soon. We have reached a point with our pressing system where we are looking at an emergency-type situation IF we do not get it replaced, but we are currently working on...
Dear Editor, Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers has many noteworthy achievements. She has had 10 bills passed out of the U.S. House of Representatives, five of which have cleared the Senate and been signed into law by the President. Did you know she fought for and passed the Faster Care for Veterans act, authored major new laws to help people with disabilities to become independent, helped pass legislation to protect our Columbia and Snake River dams, won expanded support for the Spokane Teaching Health Center and community clinics to bring more...
