Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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Dear Editor, The general election is just around the corner. The ballots will be mailed out on October 19th, so we will be receiving them in our mailboxes soon. Much has been said about both candidates for Sheriff; much has been discussed on social media. I’m the type of person who checks for himself and only uses what people say to start my fact checking. I had the luxury of being in on the interview process when the position of Undersheriff was selected. I heard from all the candidates, and Mark Crider’s honesty, dedication, training, abi...
Dear Editor, If you live in Columbia County’s 3rd district, you may have had the opportunity to meet Dain Nysoe as he and his wife, Claudia go door to door speaking to voters. Dain doesn’t do this just to talk you into voting for him, but because he genuinely wants to know what issues Columbia County cares about. He knows that talking to voters is the only way to enact change that matters to us when he’s in office. It’s easy to feel voiceless in our government, but Dain recognizes that he will be the voice in county government for all the con...
Dear Editor, I am endorsing Skyler Rude for 16th District State Representative and urging you to vote for him in November. For the past four years, Skyler Rude has served as a legislative assistant in both the House and Senate for Senator Maureen Walsh. During his tenure, he has had the opportunity to familiarize himself with the people and issues facing the 16th district and the state of Washington. I have had numerous opportunities to work with Skyler the past four years. He is dedicated to serving the citizens of the 16th district. I...
We have completed over a month of school and it just goes by like a blink of the eye. I would like to take this opportunity to give you an update of happenings in the Waitsburg School District. We have got a lot of wonderful things going on. It is hard to distill it down to a few, but I will try. Last year the Professional Development Council (PDC), a group of teachers, classified staff representative, and administration convened to address needs of the students and staff of the district. During the course of the year, the council worked on...
Give Gov. Jay Inslee and backers of Initiative 1631 credit. They are persistent in their quest to invoke a fee on carbon emissions. Voters will decide its fate on Nov. 6. Since Inslee was first elected, he pushed to reduce CO2 discharges---a laudable goal. Two years ago, carbon initiative backers drafted a “revenue-neutral” ballot measure which voters rejected by a 59-41 percent margin. Today’s Initiative 1631 simply adds a new fee without cutting any state fee or tax, particularly on gasol...
Dear Editor, I have known Dain Nysoe since the mid-sixties when we competed against each other in high school sports – Dain at Dayton High School and myself at Waitsburg High School. Although we both left our hometowns to pursue our careers, we met again in the early 2000s in Dayton. We have and currently share common interests in education, rural politics, and making life better for all of our fellow rural and small-town citizens. Dain has had broad life experiences both in rural and urban settings, serving his country in the U.S. Army, in c...
Dear Editor, I would like to express my support for Chuck Amerein as county Commissioner. I have known Mr. Amerein for many years. He is a man with integrity. Whom is honest, fair and committed to our county. He is passionate about this area and bringing good employment to our county. He is active with the American Legion along with CC friends of the fairgrounds and others. Support Chuck Amerein. Thank you, Jeri Fulbright Dayton...
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...
