Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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W. Bruce Cameron Editor’s Note: The following column was originally published in 2006. I guess I always thought that my first grandchild wouldn’t be a goldfish. I played along, though, when my then-8-year-old daughter solemnly explained that the arrival of “Princess Goldy” at our house meant that I was a grandfather. “Great,” I said, “I always wanted to take my grandchildren fishing!” Princess Goldy lived to be old enough to have grandchildren of her own, except that we never thought to provide a Prince Goldy. As pets accumulated, my kids took...
As Congress and state legislatures struggle with the sluggish economy, high unemployment and growing deficits, it may seem that a solution is out of reach. That’s not the case. In fact, you and I can make a real difference with the choices we make every day. The realization that consumers control the marketplace is fueling a burgeoning movement to “Buy American.” When consumers choose American-manufactured products, they support American jobs — the more products purchased, the more jobs created. “Buy American” is not anti-trade, it is about co...
ITEM - Letter grades have disappeared from many elementary schools and they may soon fade from middle and high schools as well. Students are getting report cards with ones, twos and threes instead of A’s, B’s and C’s. It’s called standards-based grading, focusing on which skills a student has mastered, rather than how hard he or she worked to attend class or turn in homework. Grading consultant Ken O’Connor said “instead of providing a single grade for a student, you get a profile of student performance.” COMMENT - No wonder the poor kids can’t... Full story
The town of Palouse has pulled off a tremendous accomplishment. Without tax money and with only its own resources, the town has created and opened a new community center. The new center has been a vision for the town for years. It became more than a vision just over a week ago with the official grand opening. This was one vision that was not easy to realize. It took time, money and a commitment from the community. The success, however, came from the fact that the community shared the vision and worked together to see it realized. Funds were... Full story
These reports are from the previous four issues of the Daily Bulletin in Colfax. They are reprinted here for the benefit of Gazette readers who reside outside of Colfax. Some accounts have been updated. FOUR HURT IN 270 COLLISION Both drivers and two passengers were hurt in a collision on Highway 270 Monday morning at the Pullman City limits at the 5.4 mile mark. According to the Washington State Patrol report, Loren C. Bates, 20, Bellingham, lost control of a 1996 Ford Bronco when he moved to the middle lane while driving westbound at 8:40... Full story
1. TELEVISION: Who played Barney Fife on “The Andy Griffith Show”? 2. HISTORY: The Battle of Hastings was fought to control which country? 3. CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: What award-winning Christmas book did Chris Van Allsburg write? 4. MUSIC: By which nickname did The Doors’ Jim Morrison refer to himself? 5. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What Balkan leader’s real name was Josip Broz? 6. MOVIES: What shape did Hermione Granger’s patronus take in the “Harry Potter” series? 7. ENTERTAINMENT: What kind of entertainer would use the “DeManche change”? 8. LANGU...
• It was 20th-century American critic John Leonard who made the following sage observation: “To be capable of embarrassment is the beginning of moral consciousness. Honor grows from qualms.” • You’ve probably never heard of the Spanish village of Lijar, located in the south of that country. This village, though, was involved in a nearly 100-year war that lasted well into the 20th century. It seems that in 1883, Alfonso XII, the king of Spain, made a state visit to Paris and received a less-than-royal welcome. Led by mayor Don Miguel Garcia Sa...
Colfax wrestlers tonight will again try to host a wrestling meet for league guests and others starting at 6 p.m. The big Bulldog home meet was bumped last Thursday when Colfax schools were canceled because of storms, but the meet was re-booked for tonight starting at 6 p.m. This will be the last home show for the Bulldogs before they go into the tournament eleminations. Kittitas had 16 teams on the entry list Saturday, but only 10 showed up after the big snowstorm. Many of the brackets were left unfilled and that shortened the day of competitio...
St. John/Endicott wrestlers’ trip to the Kittitas tournament was called off because of the snowstorms last week. The Eagles plan to have five competitors in tonight’s makeup meet at the Colfax gym.... Full story
Bulldog senior Justin Berarducci was named WIAA athlete of the week in a recognition honor sponsored by the Seattle Times. Berarducci scored 63 points and pulled down 35 rebounds in the span of three games last week. After his big run, Berarducci was sidelined Monday night with an ankle injury in the league makeup game against St. George’s. He pulled out in the first half and sat most of the second half.... Full story
1. In 2010, Texas’ Josh Hamilton became the third Ranger to lead the A.L. in batting average for a season. Name either of the other two. 2. Who is the all-time leader in stolen bases for the Toronto Blue Jays? 3. Name the first team to win 15 games in a regular season once the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978. 4. Which was the lowest-seeded men’s basketball team to win a game in the 2011 NCAA Tournament (not counting the First Four games)? 5. When was the last time Canadian-based NHL teams won at least five consecutive Stanley Cups? 6.... Full story
Snowed out Friday, Garfield/Palouse and Tekoa/Oakesdale made up their SR 27 rivalry game Tuesday night with the Vikings leaving Oakesdale with a 51-44 overtime win. The teams went back and forth throughout regulation, but GP, riding Tyson Lowley, heated up in the extra session. Lowley finished with 14 points, and Jesse Lopez and Nathan Cocking each posted 11 for the Vikes. Nighthawk big man Max Mueller added to his hot scoring streak with 28 points, more than half the ‘hawk total. Joe Gaines added 10 for the hosts. Saturday night Mueller s...
After winning the first two matchups in a busy week, Colfax girls Friday will travel to Reardan and take a shot at derailing the undefeated Indians. Reardan’s veteran team is now at the top of the league race at 11-0 after dropping their Davenport neighbors 80-52 in the Tuesday league round. Friday, they pounded number-two Northwest Christian 83-50 in the lone league round to go on the books during the snow storm. The loss left the Crusaders at 10-2 in the league race, but still a notch ahead of Colfax in second place. Reardan’s veteran crew in...
A snowbound SE league began to make its way through the drifts early this week as the league race entered its final stretch Two league rounds went down in the books Saturday after snow blanked out the league action Friday night. League leading Colton was sidelined both nights. They were slated to make up games at LaCrosse Wednesday. The Touchet rounds have been booked for varsity-only rounds next Monday. St. John/ Endicott, also blanked by snow over the weekend, was set to make up the Touchet game Wednesday. They will make up the...
Colfax boys remained in the hunt for a top league finish at the start of the week with a 60-42 win over the St. George’s Dragons Monday night and a 58-33 win over the Liberty Lancers Tuesday. Both league rounds were on the home court. Colfax booked the wins with their top scorer, Justin Berarducci, working short stints both nights. The Bulldog senior rolled an ankle in the first half Monday against St. George’s. He came back for a short time at the start of the half and then bowed out. Tuesday against the Lancers, Berarducci hit four poi...
Colfax School District is one step closer to refinancing a 2003 bond issue which they hope will save the district $200,000 or more. At the board meeting Monday night, Resolution 453 was approved unanimously, which gives the superintendent the authority to sign off on a bond refinancing if it will reap savings of $200,000 or more. It will cost the district $80,000 to complete the deal if it goes ahead. “At what point do we reach a savings margin that helps taxpayers most,” said Colfax Supt. Michael Morgan. “When you get down towards $150,...
Whitman County’s planning commission will conduct a hearing next Wednesday, Feb. 1, on changes to the county’s flood plain ordinance. Planner Alan Thomson said the ordinance was deemed to be out of compliance by officials within the state department of ecology. Thomson said the Federal Emergency Management Authority, or FEMA, requires certain language about the agency’s flood programs be written into county code in order for those who own homes in flood plains to receive federal disaster assistance in case of floods. “The code has been written... Full story
Whitman County Auditor Eunice Coker presented county commissioners Monday with a contract to hire Courtney Thompson, a GIS (Geographic Information System) technician for Lincoln County’s public works department, to chart a redistricting plan for Whitman County. The county will pay for Thompson’s time and travel and for the use of Lincoln County’s GIS equipment. Whitman County has no GIS equipment. The county must have its finalized plan approved by the Secretary of State’s office by May 4, which is one month before filing opens for politic...
Bids were due Wednesday to buy the former Bank of Whitman building in LaCrosse. The building was offered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation which shut down the Bank of Whitman last August. Pullman Realtor Chud Wendle, who is conducting the sale as an agent for FDIC, said they opted to put the building up for bid because a number of parties have expressed interest in the building. “Because there’s been so much interest, I think (the FDIC) is trying to whip up a sort of an auction,” said Wendle. LaCrosse has been without a bank since... Full story
THURSDAY Legal analysis by the Congressional Research Service found Congress has the constitutional right to legislate permits for cross-border oil pipelines like TransCanada’s $7 billion Alberta-to-Texas Keystone XL, which was rejected last week by President Barack Obama and the State Department. Exxon Mobil agreed to pay more than $2 million in penalties and cleanup costs to Montana for a pipeline rupture in July that spilled an estimated 1,500 barrels of oil into the Yellowstone River. David Rubenstein, billionaire co-founder of Carlyle G... Full story
Pomeroy native Tory Bye took over last month as executive director of Whitman County’s office of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. “You know, minus the snow, I’m very excited to be here,” Bye said Monday. Bye graduated from Whitworth University in 2010 and immediately began training for a leadership position in the FSA. After spending six weeks in six offices all around the state, Bye was named director of Yakima County’s FSA, where he served for the next eight months. “It’s nice to be closer to home,” he said.... Full story
Local advocates were pleased upon hearing Monday a bill that would legalize gay marriage in Washington had clinched the number of votes it needs to pass the legislature. Local legislators, meanwhile, continued to voice their opposition to the measure. “Absolutely, it’s a great day for Washington residents,” said Chris Bidiman with Inland Oasis, a Moscow-based support organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community on the Palouse. Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, pledged to become the 25th senator to support Senat...
Cleanup operations began Jan. 13 after a leak from an underground tank at the J.E. Love Company in Garfield was discovered. The leak subsequently seeped into Silver Creek. Most of the cleanup is now complete, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology. Approximately 950 gallons of diesel had been recovered as of Sunday, including product reclaimed from excavation, storm drains, and pads and booms installed along Silver Creek. The incident will not affect the city’s water supply. ... Full story
County officials this week continued their quest for funding to build $15 million worth of infrastructure at the Hawkins shopping center. Commissioner Greg Partch, Administrative Director Gary Petrovich and Public Works Director Mark Storey were scheduled to meet in Olympia Wednesday morning with 9th District legislators. Rep. Susan Fagan reported Wednesday the meeting was cancelled because Partch could not cross Snoqualmie Pass Tuesday night. County officials had an afternoon meeting with Marty Brown, director of the state’s Office of F... Full story
Renewed last year in March, after a years-long hiatus, the Farm-City Day will bring farmers and businesses together in Colfax for a luncheon put on by the Colfax and Pullman chambers of commerce. The event will be at the Hill-Ray Plaza. County Commissioner Pat O’Neill and Port Executive Director Joe Poire will speak. This year organizers decided to move it to January to have it in a less active time of the year for farmers. Steve and Donna Holberg of Days by Design will cater the luncheon. D...
