Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 2857 - 2881 of 3750
Endicott residents, take a good look at your town. Almost half of our town is an ordinance nightmare. Most of these places have multiple infractions. These offenses are demeaning and dangerous to your town and the other half of the residents who keep their homes, land, and vehicles, “by choice” looking great. No pride in town appearance. No pride in their homes and land. No respect for their neighbor’s property value. No respect for themselves. No compliance for town ordinances or codes. Weeds, rubbish-debris, junk vehicles and parts there...
The League of Women Voters of Pullman opposes 1- 1240, which would establish up to 40 Charter Schools because: Charter Schools are not accountable to voters or elected officials. An appointed state commission is created to authorize and oversee charter schools not the constitutionally mandated, publicly elected, Superintendent of Public Instruction. Private boards rather than publicly elected school boards govern charter schools. An existing public school could be converted to a charter school by a petition of a majority of teachers or of...
In the race for Whitman County Commissioner, district one, Art Swannack is the clear choice. Art is a lifetime Whitman County resident, farmer, rancher, businessman, family man and leader. He has demonstrated thoughtful, strong, and successful leadership in numerous positions including FFA State Sentinel, Sprague-Lamont School Board member, Lamont Fire Commissioner, Sprague Grange Board member, Washington State Sheep Producers president, Whitman County Farm Bureau president, American Sheep Industry district representative, and member of the...
Colfax I am enthusiastic about two local candidates whom I have known personally for many years, Art Swannack and Dean Kinzer. Both will make excellent County Commissioners. Art and Dean have been successful farmers and ranchers and have used sound business and fiscal judgment. Both are enthusiastic and skilled agricultural and civic leaders. They are good listeners and men of sound judgment. I am confident that both will serve as dedicated representatives of the people of Whitman County. I look forward to all they will achieve on behalf of...
Rosalia I write this letter to express my views as who should get the vote for County Commissioner for our district #1 here in northern Whitman County. Before you vote you should consider who will serve you best as our Commissioner. We have someone who is in the running that will represent us as we should be, and that is Bill Tensfeld. Bill has been a leader for years in his job with District 7 Fire District and many other positions, making great decisions that made our district one of the best in the state. His opponent may be popular, but...
#!*! Eating establishments and other public places that don’t have handrails in the women’s bathrooms.We are not young anymore nor are we men. #!*! More than $2 million dollars! For what? Next season?...
The East Coast has been slammed by Hurricane Sandy. The storm stretched nearly one thousand miles across and has brought rains, blizzards, wind and historic tidal surges. Damage estimates have already reached billions of dollars. As of this writing, more than eight million people are without power. The Federal government, state governments and local governments are deep into rescue and recovery efforts. Organizations such as the American Red Cross are in full relief mode. Power companies and utilities are attempting to restore power. All this...
Editor’s Note: The following column was originally published in 2007. I’ve always thought that the purpose of musical instruments was to produce music, but my new neighbor — a 20-something young man with an electric guitar — doesn’t seem to agree. When he plays his instrument, it sounds like he is doing something really awful over there, like peeling an electric cat. Not that I’m against electric guitar music — I’m a baby boomer, so I believe my generation invented that, plus everything else. He doesn’t seem to be taking lessons — he’s en...
It is now time to decide how you are going vote for County Commissioner District 1. I am asking you to support Art Swannack for this position. I’ve known Art for years and have worked with him in his role as State Sheep Producers President and in our activities in the State and County Farm Bureau. Whether we were at a local meeting, State meeting or lobbying either the State Legislature or Congress I have always found Art to be very thoughtful, articulate and able to get to the bottom line quickly while looking for solutions to whatever p...
Voters, please join me in casting a vote for Peter J. Goldmark for the State Commissioner of Public Lands. Goldmark is an Eastern Washington rancher and an agriculture specialist. He knows how critical land management is to our agriculture industry. As Commissioner of Public Lands, Goldmark has demonstrated the careful management of agriculture, forest, and water resources that is vital to the state’s multi-billion dollar ag industry. Further, he has promoted sustainable shellfish harvest, the wine industry, and other new crops. New r...
It is always so nice during election year to open your newspaper to find unbiased pictures and stories regarding the race. I am in receipt of my Whitman County Gazette dated Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012. I cannot believe what I see on the front page. It appears from the picture who the Gazette favors in the District 1 Whitman County Commissioner race. Your front page story’s second paragraph states: “The forum featured candidates for the two commissioner seats that will be on ballots mailed out by the county elections office Friday.” But the photo...
Dear readers—does the word “dictator” scare you as much as it scares me? To put us on the same page let’s get the dictionary definition of dictator—one who assumes absolute control without the free consent of the people. Does that remind you of the narcissist who slithered into the White House under the radar? If I’m not mistaken, he swore under oath at his inauguration to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. He must have had his fingers crossed behind his back because it seems he thinks the constitution is just something t...
We are writing this letter to endorse Dean Kinzer and Art Swannack for District 1 and 2 Whitman County Commissioners. As tax-paying citizens of this county we are very concerned about placing a fifteen million dollar risk to the people of the county against the advice of the prosecuting attorney Denis Tracy and also the much respected businessman Ed Schweitzer. Our taxes go up every year without this added expense. Mr. Kinzer has served on the Pullman School Board for many years and Mr. Swannack has served the sheep industry for years and his...
Washington Voters, the ballots are in the mail. Please vote no on Initiative measure 1240! Simply put, it steals money from the tax-supported public schools. Yes, a Charter School is a private school funded with our hard earned tax dollars. Currently, the public schools are underfunded. Allowing a private school to take the money is not a good policy and we voters have rejected this nonsense in previous elections. If one carefully examines the research on Charter schools, one will discover that there is virtually “no effect size” dif...
Art Swannack is an honest, intelligent man who will bring common sense and reasoning to his decisions on behalf of the county. I attended the two open “hearings” the commissioners held this spring about the Hawkins development. I was frustrated upon realizing that the meetings were less about “hearing” from the public in order to inform their decision, and more about telling the public what was good for us. At the time, I mentioned feeling like a child who was being told to, “shut up, sit down, and eat your vegetables. They’re good for you.” T...
When Don Brunell wrote his essay “Striking it Rich in North Dakota” (Gazette, Oct. 18) he must have been wearing his rose-tinted glasses, or blinders, or both. For one thing, the statement that fracking is safe and actually protects aquifers is extremely questionable. But beyond that, implicit in his editorial is the idea that increased petroleum production is in itself a wonderful thing—a boon to the economy and an overall win-win situation. Brunell suggests that the US has “more than a 200-year supply of crude oil.” This, presumably, is at ou...
YYYY The generous volunteer who provided the chemicals, time and effort to spray weeds at the Steptoe cemetery. #!*! People who park their cars blocking the entire crosswalk at the intersection of Main and Wall streets....
A few years after Sid Snyder retired as Washington Senate majority leader in 2002, elected leaders from both parties voted to honor by him re-naming the street leading to the state capitol in Olympia “Sid Snyder Avenue.” It was a fitting tribute to a gracious man who worked tirelessly and in the best interests of our state. Snyder, who died on Oct. 14 at 86, was an icon. He was a politician whose respectful demeanor was in sharp contrast to today's rancorous partisan atmosphere in the other Washington. The manner in which Sid Snyder app...
ITEM-Washington is on the verge of becoming the first in the nation to let adults 21 or older buy taxed, inspected marijuana at state-licensed shops. Voters in Oregon and Colorado are considering similar initiatives but based on polls, Washington’s 1-502 is believed to have the best chance of passing. It could, however, bring on a protracted fight with the feds because marijuana remains illegal under U.S. law and when state and federal law conflict, federal law takes precedence. Conferences are planned to try to work something out if it c...
The idea of a democracy is that citizens will determine the direction and tenor of their government. Voting gives people a chance to express their hopes and desires. It allows them to voice what they feel is needed and necessary. Often, the accumulation of individual votes results in dramatic shifts in power. In America, immense power is peacefully relinquished or peacefully retained based solely on the vote of the people. It is a miraculous event. Few countries experience it, and none have experienced for as long or as unquestionably as...
Backs Tensfeld Whitman County is facing a tough choice in this election. The role of Whitman County Commissioner position 1 is vacant, and it is up to the citizens to decide who shall lead our county during this time of economic and financial uncertainty. For the last 25 years, Bill Tensfeld has devoted nearly half his life to public service as a volunteer firefighter and EMT, the last 12 being Rosalia’s Fire Chief. He is the only candidate with a proven track record of working with the WSDOT in Highway Maintenance and Traffic Safety. He is c...
. The Dark Tunnel to Stupidity W. Bruce Cameron Editor’s Note: The following column was originally published in 2007. There are many people who are experts in how to raise children, and we call these experts “people who have never had children.” Anyone who has actually been through the experience of parenting knows that it requires patience, wisdom, kindness and love — so if your kid doesn’t have those, you might as well forget it. My own parents decided on a system based on redundancy: With three children, they figured they could afford to...
In 1951, if farmer Henry Bakken had told you there was oil under his prairie land in Williston, N.D., you’d have thought he was a few bricks short of a load. As it turns out, he was right. North Dakota’s economy is going gangbusters, thanks to millions of barrels of oil being recovered from what today is known as the Bakken formation. The Bakken formation stretches about 200,000 square miles beneath Montana, North Dakota and Saskatchewan. The U.S. portion of the Bakken is estimated to hold up to 10 billion barrels of oil. The oil is being rec...
WELL, IT HAD to come; we had to have Jake put down. I told you about Jake around National Dog Day. I got him June 29 when I was having lunch with friends and mentioned I was without a dog for the first time in years, having had a dog or dogs most of my life. I had just had to have three dogs put down, Max, a Labrador who got a tumor that was pressing against his organs and causing him pain, Daisy, a Springer Spaniel with similar problems, and Eleanor, a little bitty dog with an advanced case of heart worms. I promised my daughter no more dogs...
One life-long resident of Colfax loved to hunt as a young man. In those days, he had to travel to central Washington to hunt. There just were not any deer around here. Now, deer are everywhere. They are on roads and in gardens. They hold up traffic and, worse, cause serious accidents. Vehicle/deer collisions are common. Near misses are much more common. Many encounters go unreported so the real danger to drivers can only be guessed at. The special hunts around Colfax to reduce the number of deer reportedly have had some success, but some...
