Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 1616 - 1640 of 3750
#!*! People who put on a facade, months later their true character surfaces....
Don't turn on the news. Don't read the paper. It's depressing, it's disturbing, is it Las Vegas, is it Texas, is it Washington, D.C.? Is it a myriad of other places? Switch to sports instead. When we do change the station, why is the feeling often still there? In a time in which news in general is dark and darker, the extended trend of black sports uniforms could use a second look. Sports are generally fun and exciting for a society, a genuine bond among varied people. But now, in this particular era, to insist on continuing the 20-year-old... Full story
Skewed editorial To be honest I am not sure where to start in regard to your editorial page on November 2, 2017 in the Whitman County Gazette. I am a frequent reader of your editorial comments, many times agreeing sometimes disagreeing but this most recent one was wrought with either errors or false statements that clearly were skewed toward your position on the matter. While I agree that the editorial section is not necessarily a journalist article, but it should be based upon facts from which a conclusion of agreement or disagreement can be...
The showdown between President Donald Trump and Sen. Jeff Flake turned out to be no contest. It wasn't Trump who was out of the GOP mainstream, but Flake. The Arizona senator supported Gang of Eight-style immigration reform, when immigration restriction is becoming a litmus-test issue in the party. He is a Goldwaterite, libertarian-inflected conservative, when the market for libertarianism within the party is limited and diminishing by the day. He is frankly anti-Trump, when Trump owns the party. Many Republican voters are fully aware of the...
Some will remember that Ronald Reagan used to describe the GOP as a "big tent," meaning it had room for a large spectrum of approaches to government, from nearly liberal to arch conservative. Well, his alleged "big tent" certainly is "past tents." The GOP range these days goes from hard right to extremist cuckoo bird. Anybody who doesn't stand for exclusion and protecting the rich at all costs is dismissed as a "RINO" -- a "Republican In Name Only." The "Conscience of a Conservative" has been gradually overwhelmed by the expedient of...
YYYY The new passing lanes on 195 north of Steptoe. Keep them coming. Send your pet peeves and okeydokes to Whitman County Gazette P.O Box 770, Colfax, WA 99111 or drop them off at the Gazette office...
In the movie “Starship Troopers,” citizenship was a very special status. To earn citizenship, one had to serve in the military. Citizenship gave those who served the right to vote. In this science fiction story, the rights of citizenship were not given freely. Citizenship here does not have to be earned. For most, it is a birthright. And, on top of that, very little is asked of citizens. Some citizens who have given the most to the country are veterans. We should give them our respect in return. It is fitting that they are honored. Alt... Full story
Defending Jacobs I would like to respond to the allegations about my husband, Ken Jacobs, against the trail in Rosalia. (Julie Griffin letter Oct. 26) Did she have a recording of that meeting that she remembers it so well? What I remember and know about my husband, is that he was always in favor of having the John Wayne Trail. My recall of that time is the parks department was trying to put through making the trail head for Rosalia, up on the hill between lst and 7th, open it up for horse trailers and campers. That was a bad idea. That is a...
The Kremlin knows a bargain when it sees it. We are supposed to believe that it bought the American presidential election last year with $100,000 in Facebook ads and some other digital activity. Frankly, if American democracy can be purchased this cheap -- a tiny fraction of the $7.2 million William Seward paid to buy Alaska from the Russians back in 1867 -- it's probably not worth having. The latest obsession in the Russian collusion story, the Kremlin's digital activity has generated headlines and put Facebook and all of Silicon Valley on...
Few in media have disparaged President Donald Trump more harshly than I have. But I and the rest of his critics need to be careful. If we want credibility, particularly with Trump always attacking us for "fake news," we must be painstaking as we do our jobs, particularly when a story seems too grotesque to be true. A case in point is the controversy over the call he made to Myeshia Johnson, the grieving widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson, one of four special operations troops killed by ISIS forces while on patrol in Niger. Prodded by...
Special prosecutor Robert Mueller is mandated to investigate the alleged ties between the Donald Trump campaign and Russia. The investigation has been underway for sometime, but it was completely secret until Monday. That is when Mueller brought indictments against Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign manager, and Rick Gates, Trump advisor and Manafort associate. Both men have been charged with multiple crimes. They have been placed on house arrest in lieu of multi-million dollar bail. Prior to Monday, speculation about Mueller’s first move w... Full story
Shortly after the awful shooting in Las Vegas, I was talking to a very liberal friend of mine who started the conversation with, “I know that we have very different positions on gun control, but…” I interrupted at that point and said, “I don’t think our positions are that far apart. Where we differ is the means to get guns out of the hands of mass murderers.” Despite my liberal friend’s preconception, I can accept a level of reasonable gun control. There is no reason for any private citizen to have access to fully automatic weapons, expl...
Stirring it up Whitman County is a beautiful place to live year around. With the seasonal changes, the topography, the ever changing light, and the fine people, for the most part, it is a gift to those that appreciate what we have been given. As a carnivore I also enjoy the wonderful variety of food available prepared by hard working people who also seem to love this unique comer of our great country. I can only hope they all stay around. One of the great places to experience our wonderful Inland Northwest is at Boyer Park on the Snake river. A... Full story
Last year, Seattle Times aerospace reporter Dominic Gates wrote about the similarities and differences between Boeing’s corporate office move to Chicago and Amazon’s plan for a second headquarters. Boeing wanted to leave Seattle in an effort to separate its corporate leadership from manufacturing sites while Amazon, with an unusual strategy, plans to keep its headquarters here but set up a parallel operation elsewhere. Boeing hoped to find a more conservative business climate while Amazon wants a city which is a “cultural fit.” Gates reporte... Full story
Jimmy Kimmel deserves credit for frankness, if nothing else. In a recent interview, the ABC late-night host said he doesn't care about losing Republican viewers. We're a long way from Johnny Carson, whose "Tonight Show" was a national institution that enjoyed a broad audience -- and was conducted like one. Carson steered clear of politics and kept his views to himself because it would "hurt me as an entertainer, which is what I am." Kimmel may be an entertainer, but has no such inhibitions. He uttered what could be the epigraph for our times, s...
YYYY Beautiful pink flags brightening up Colfax all month long!! Thorn Hill, you are very kind and appreciated for enduring hundreds of trick-or-treaters every year. #!*! Phallic symbol, I mean Codger Pole... the game and the story, great. Erecting a monument of these guys’ mugs that the town is saddled with maintaining, no thanks. Send your pet peeves and okeydokes to Whitman County Gazette P.O Box 770, Colfax, WA 99111 or drop them off at the Gazette office...
The debate over the Snake River dams has raged for years. To breach or not to breach has been the question swirling around them. Corrective moves to help save the salmon and steelhead runs and court action have marked the story. An article in a recent Lewiston Tribune has brought the debate back to the surface, and poor fish runs have renewed calls for breaching the dams. Despite evidence that many factors contribute to declining runs, the dams remain the center point of the argument. The advocates of breaching the dams do not equivocate. The o...
I just returned from parents weekend at my grandson’s college in New England. He likes this school even though it is all the way across the continent and requires a long flight to get there. I remember when flying was fun. I took my first airplane ride when I went back east to college not far from where my grandson is now. It was a great adventure. I dressed up, even wore a tie as I recall. Everyone was smiling and helpful. I checked my bag, went directly to my gate, then on to the plane. The pretty young stewardess made sure I was c...
The $5.4 billion spent to expand the Panama Canal is paying off for East Coast and Gulf of Mexico seaports; however, it is putting more pressure on the Northwest to remain competitive. The enlarged waterway opened in June 2016 allowing much larger container ships and tankers to transit between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Ships carrying up to 14,800 containers can now bypass Washington ports. Shippers have a cost-effective alternative to reach midwestern markets from southern and eastern states. Our traditional advantage of shorter Pacific...
Another choice A few people would like you to believe that the residents of Tekoa have no choice but to accept that promoting a Washington State controlled bike trail is what everyone wants. But I believe we have another choice: Wendy Sienknecht for Tekoa City Council. She would bring some balance to our city government. I've known Wendy since 1984, and she would be a great councilwoman because she questions everything. She's not afraid to stand alone and voice her position. She won't rubber stamp special projects just to get along. She’s w... Full story
If Secretary of State Rex Tillerson resigned, how would anyone know? He has become the nation's least influential top diplomat in recent memory. His relationship with the president of the United States is strained at best, he has no philosophy or signature initiative, he has barely staffed his own department, and he's alienated the foreign service. The former CEO of ExxonMobil has taken one of the power positions in the U.S. government and made it an afterthought. Who knows the truth of the NBC story that he was close to quitting last summer...
There are first responders -- men and women who are heroes who bravely swarm to the rescue whenever there's a tragic emergency -- and then there's the first response, by politicians who have nothing to add so they put out statements that invariably include the bromide that their "thoughts and prayers" are with the victims and their families. Admirable thought, until we consider it has become a purely mechanical way of saying they have zero to say, that they're concerned but impotent. At its worst, it is an excuse not to take meaningful action.... Full story
A young student went on social media a few weeks ago and declared he was going to shoot up Colfax High School. Soon after he posted this ominous warning, three students went to the school counselor and reported the message. Immediately, officials went into action and arrested the youth. Those students who alerted the school deserve congratulations. What they did was the right thing to do. Such responsible actions can prevent needless violence and heartache and even save lives.... Full story
YYYY Volunteer soccer coaches. Church bells at 8, noon and 6, beautiful. #!*! People who don’t know the difference between “sorted’ and “sordid.” Pink, wow, so are we going to be just as enthusiastic regarding all manner of cancers or are we just a boob kinda town? People on Southview who let their dogs run loose at night so they can poop in neighbors’ yards. Send your pet peeves and okeydokes to Whitman County Gazette P.O Box 770, Colfax, WA 99111 or drop them off at the Gazette office...
Athletic Director Bill Moos is leaving WSU to become athletic director for the University of Nebraska. He announced his resignation just last weekend, and will start his new job by the end of the month. His announcement came as a surprise to nearly everyone, even the university president. Moos started his career at WSU and then went to University of Oregon as athletic director. He reportedly retired and was later brought back to WSU. His goal was to bring the university to a position of prominence in athletics. He has been successful at that.... Full story
