Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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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...
Last April, Washington wheat, apple and cherry growers hoped U.S. and China trade negotiators would resolve differences and prevent imposition of damaging tariffs on our state’s leading crops. Unfortunately, that did not happen, and the costs are adding up. Thousands of Washington farmers now find themselves on the front lines of a battle between the two largest economies in the world. Here’s what has happened so far. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on $34...
While most of our attention in the Pacific Northwest these days is on trade wars, tariffs and wildfires, there are critical talks underway between the U.S. and Canada over future allocations of the Columbia River system’s water. The two countries are renegotiating the Columbia River Treaty, which went into effect in 1964. It is a 50-year agreement which both nations can redo, providing there is a 10-year advanced warning. That occurred, and negotiators are now busy meeting. A new agreement w...
Dear Editor, I read the recent article on Waitsburg School District considering dropping Life Management Skills (LMS) as a requirement with interest and concern. I am a WHS graduate who benefited from taking Running Start classes in the mornings my senior year. Having exhausted most of my class options at the high school, my Running Start classes helped fill out my schedule, allowed me to earn some transferable college credits, and eased my transition to a four-year college. Now, as a college professor, I may seem like the perfect advocate for...
Dear Editor, This last Waitsburg City Council meeting, held August 15th, left me with some serious concerns about city maintenance in general and the wastewater treatment facility specifically. The discussion revealed a problem with equipment that was identified years ago as being a problem. The immediate problem has now become an emergency situation, the outcome if no solution is found within the next 2-3 weeks is potential release of untreated or partially-treated waste into the river. This I believe comes with a $10,000 a day fine. There wer...
Most of us who work at The Times are old enough to remember when a "phone" was something with a rotary dial, and a camera was a completely separate device that you put rolls of film into. I'm happy to announce that we've added a staff member who grew up with cellular phones and digital cameras, and who has exceptional skill with the modern technology that we all now use to produce this newspaper each week. Brianna Wray joined The Times this month and will provide reporting on Waitsburg news and...
Since 2002, the U.S. Dept. of Energy has funded construction of a $17 billion project to encase radioactive wastes in solid glass logs. It is scheduled to start operations in 2022 and treat more than 56 million gallons of hazardous liquids which are stored in tanks on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. It is called vitrification, a process by which the State of Washington and federal government agreed in 1989. It is complicated, time consuming and very costly. To speed up treatment and reduce...
Dear Editor, Thank you to the Waitsburg, Dayton, Walla Walla County, and College Place fire districts for responding to the many fires on Highway 124 in late July. Also, special thanks to our neighbors and friends who helped us fight these fires. The McCaw family Waitsburg...
Dear Editor, I am writing this letter in support of Dain Nysoe, for Columbia County Commissioner. Dain is a fourth generation resident of Columbia County. He is the manager of his family farming operations, therefore very familiar with the geography and the roads of the area and the needs of the agricultural community. Mr. Nysoe has been a viable member of the Dayton City Council for several years and is aware of how city government operates and of the challenges people of Dayton and the county face. He has served on the Finance committee as...
The City of Waitsburg does not have a Facebook account and does not participate in social media in any format. Should any citizen have a concern or know of a situation that warrants the city’s involvement, please contact City Hall directly rather than posting complaints and comments online. If we don’t know about the issues, we can’t address them, and simply posting online will not help solve any problems. While it might not be the fastest process, sometimes taking up to a month, the city does have procedures in place to address a great numbe...
DAYTON—Chaplain Terry Rice jump-started a conversation about end of life wishes when he presented “Five Wishes,” to folks at the Dayton First Congregational Church, on July 29. “The best time to plan is when things are going alright. Whether you are 30, or 70, this is a good time to talk,” said Rice, who has served with Walla Walla Community Hospice since 2011. Rice said Five Wishes is the brainchild of Jim Towey, a legal attorney for Mother Teresa. Towey lived in Mother Teresa’s Washington...
Dear Editor, I am asking you to support and vote for Dain Nysoe for Columbia County Commissioner. As a fourth-generation resident of the community, his educational and public service background make him an ideal person for the position. As manager of his generational family farm and a seven-year member of Dayton City Council, he is fully aware of the problems and assets of our county. He will bring a level-headed and non-partisan attitude to the Commission. Please vote for Dain and elect a person who is not only approachable, but responsible....
Dear Editor, Thank you for placing my article about the Winder family in your paper. I have received good information from two sources that is very helpful in continuing my family History. My wife and I will still be in Dayton on the 12-13th of September to see and photograph my family grave sites for our book. Thanks Again Melvin (Mel) Jasmin Warrenton, Ore....
Dear Editor, Recently, our household received a colorful mailer from the “PAID FOR CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS FOR US CONGRESS” campaign, indicating that “Liberal Lisa Brown chose to protect dangerous sex offenders instead of our children.” What this mailer doesn’t say is 1) Lisa Brown voted against the 1996 WA State bill because it did not provide protection for pre-schools or child care centers, and would not have accomplished more safety for children, 2) the 1996 bill passed the house, but was never voted on by the Senate, apparently because no o...
Dear Editor, My son is a Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Deputy. Every day, I pray the safety of every deputy because their job is inherently dangerous, unpredictable, and mentally and physically taxing. They do their job without complaint and without looking for any thought of reward. I know they appreciate the public’s support as we are fortunate to live in a county where law enforcement is respected and valued. In recent weeks, however, I have seen a few members of the public take to social media sites and other news outlets attacking the dep...
Dear Editor, I know most of you have received your ballots by now and many of you have already voted. If you haven’t, first and foremost, please vote. Every election is an important election and your input is needed. I want to address specifically those people who are still researching for whom to vote. I feel this election is very important for the direction of the Walla Walla Sheriff’s Office (WWSO) and for the citizens of Walla Walla County. I’ve been in law enforcement for over 35 years. I was a law enforcement officer for 30 years and t...
Dear Editor, “Cease fire!” The firearms instructor roared. Nervously we looked down the firing line, wondering which cadet had messed up. A mistake was made and now collectively, we were all going to pay. “If you’re not competent with your weapon, you’ll get killed! Holster and assume the position!” We holstered our handguns and knelt down on the snow-covered gravel of the police academy range. On the instructor’s count, we did pushups until we were exhausted and he was satisfied. He ordered us up, took a softer tone and explained. “G...
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...
