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While January 8, 2024 is the first official day of the Washington State legislative session next year, things are already happening in Olympia. Legislators have the ability to ‘pre-file’ bills to get new legislation into the hopper ready for consideration in January and things are already happening. One such bill, Senate Bill 5793 (SB 5793), filed by Senator Saldaña (37th Legislative District), would expand Washington State paid sick leave law adding new qualifying events including work site...
The Letter to the Editor space on the opinion page provides a forum for local residents to express their opinions and concerns about matters of public interest as part of the "community conversation." Letters may be mailed to Letter to the Editor, 163 E. Main Street, Dayton, WA 99328. Pomeroy and Garfield County residents may email the editor at [email protected]. Dayton and Columbia County readers may email letters to [email protected]. Please include a telephone number and...
By Luis Franco, senior loan specialist, Center for Rural Affairs The holiday season is right around the corner and it comes with great news. According to a Gallup survey, 74% of holiday shoppers said they expect to pay about the same amount or more on holiday gifts this year compared to last. Moreover, 23% of shoppers said they choose one retailer over another because they want to support small and local businesses in their community. Small businesses are essential to rural America. When buying from local small businesses, you are supporting...
OLYMPIA–If you are not an employer, you may not care about exempt and non-exempt employee salary ranges, but changes to an obscure state law is causing many employers to lay off staff and reduce available working hours, so you might want to pay attention. Washington State requires employers to pay non-exempt employees (those employees that don't meet several thresholds the state defines) overtime for every hour worked. Over the last few years, the minimum salary threshold to qualify as an exempt...
To the editor, In response to a November 23, 2023, Waitsburg Times school board meeting. Board members, It has come to my attention after reading a November 23 article in the Waitsburg Times that CCC member Aneesha Dieu stated that she wanted a bit of "heightened awareness" on what kind of books were being brought into the school. I would like to caution the board members and staff on entertaining such cynical ploys to undermine public education. Over the past 18 months, we have witnessed an...
To the editor, First, I commend the library in obtaining several books I recently requested. The books were not available in the library collection at the time of my requests. I believe one was added to the collection and others were available with the inter-library lending program. All were received in reasonable time of a few days to a couple weeks. Next, I highly recommend these books to any and all persons who wish to better understand what has contributed to the events we have experienced...
By Eric McKeirnan Guest Columnist I ran into an old friend a few weeks ago who was all juiced up with the excitement of traveling with his wife and friends and former pastor to the land of Jesus Christ. Nearly four years ago a core group of about a dozen locals, (local includes Waitsburg and Tekoa), set off to the Holy Land. During the Covid lockdown I entertained the idea of writing about our adventure on the other side of the planet and having my traveling companions include their thoughts and impressions with mine. If you would like that,...
To the editor, This letter is for the silent majority. The time has come for you to be silent no more. It is time to get off the couch and get involved before you totally lose your right to be heard. We have allowed the mouthy minority to move in and take over, forcing us to bow to their whims, not to mention the indoctrination of the children through the public library. IT'S TIME FOR THE LAMBS TO BECOME LIONS. GET OUT AND VOTE. Gary Quinby Dayton, Wash....
To the editor, I join with you and your publication (The Dayton Chronicle Commentary, July 13, 2023) that this community, Columbia County, NEEDS a public swimming pool. Community members have been working hard since the closure of our beloved pool after the 2017 season. We are SO close! This fall, Proposition No. 1 will ask voters to approve creation of a POOL DISTRICT, under the state regulations that guide Parks and Recreation Districts, RCW 36.69.010. Approving a district is CRITICAL to move...
To the editor, I feel that I must respond to a recent letter to the editor that stated a personal opinion about the book "Our skin..." and stated that in that person's opinion "children do not even notice skin color". I know, respect, and very much appreciate the person who wrote this letter, and what they have done for this community, but I must respectfully disagree with this statement and perception. I can tell you that when my son was about 4 years old, we were living in a community with...
To the editor, My library file dates back to 2005. Letters to the editor, as is mine, are combinations of opinions and facts. ▪ For approximately 70 years, the City of Dayton operated the Dayton Memorial Library supported by city taxpayers. ▪ In 2005 the county voted to form a taxing district to help fund the library to improve services. ▪ The City and the Columbia County Rural Library District (CCRLD) made an agreement to mutually operate the library. The county had the bulk of the cash, and t...
To the editor, After attending the last Library Board meeting, it seemed clear that the Library Board has no intention of acting on the concerns of parents who want sexually explicit books out of reach of small children. I was told that a board member made a motion months ago, when this concern was first brought to the library board's attention, to relocate sexually explicit books out of the reach of small children, but it failed to pass with two members voting in favor and three voting...
By Chris Corry The ongoing battle over Washington’s unconstitutional capital gains tax continues. The Freedom Foundation has filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the US Supreme Court. The petition asks the US Supreme Court to overturn the decision made earlier this year by the Washington State Supreme Court. In the filing, the appeal presents the following question: “Upset with what they saw as an unduly regressive tax system, a narrow majority in the Washington legislature recently enacted a 7% long-term capital gains tax that exe...
To the editor, I find it interesting that you want to shut down the library because you don't like some of the books that are on the shelf. When I was a teenager, they had an adult only section in the library. I couldn't check out any books from there. Are you also going to ban TV shows and movies? Some of the shows now have same sex couples groping each other and deep kissing. I've stopped watching two of my shows for this reason. I did let the producers know why I've stopped watching them. I...
To the editor, I am concerned about the current situation with our library. It makes no sense to me that anyone would want to close such a valuable resource in our county. When the first petition to close the library showed up at the Senior Center, I read it (as I was taught to read anything before, I sign) and was immediately incensed that this was in the works! Then, I read some of the letters to the editor in the Chronicle. This motivated me to go do my own research. I do not listen to...
To the editor, Some, leaders of countries, cults, and religions know that if you keep most of your people uneducated or undereducated they are easier to control to that leader's viewpoint. That is one of the reasons our early U.S. leaders promoted public education for all, including women. Until then most female children did not have access to learning to read. Ignorance increases hate! Those backing the proposition to dissolve our Columbia County Rural Library will cause all of us to lose our l...
By Eric McKeirnan Guest Columnist It was asked of me if I had thoughts about the upcoming indictments of former President of the United States, Donald Trump. I do have thoughts on the subject, but it was unclear if I was to respond to the fake charges in Georgia or was it perhaps the made-up garbage run by suspected corrupt prosecutor Jack Smith? Or maybe it was the next new “fresh off the grill” impeachment concerning the cocaine found at the White House. Trump lived in the White House, “lets pin it on him!” The FBI, DOJ, Secret Service...
OLYMPIA–The state held its special auction for CO2 allowances last week. When the results were announced, they indicated that higher gas prices may be coming. As part of the state's new tax on CO2 emissions, known as the Climate Commitment Act, organizations that emit CO2, like BP or Washington State University, must purchase permits for every metric ton (MT) of CO2 emitted by their operations or products. There are a limited number of permits available, so the price is set at an auction. Regula...
To the editor, One does not admire the person who attends the Community Picnic and spits in the spaghetti sauce. It reminds us of the pesky kid we all knew who would play Monopoly until it was clear that winning was not a possibility for him, and who would violently upend the board sending the game pieces tumbling to the ground and run home, crying. The Dayton Library opened in October of 1937, the same year as San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge and Mount Hood's Timberline Lodge For 86 years,...
By Lauren Scott, The Center Square WASHINGTON STATE–Approximately 9% of America’s corporations moved headquarters since the beginning of 2022, the highest rate since 2017, with most corporations moving to Florida, Texas, and Arizona. The states that corporations were most likely to abandon were Washington, New York, and California. “Florida had 86% more corporations move their HQ there, compared to the number of companies that chose to move their head office out of Florida—the highest net gain of any state,” according to Hire A Helper, w...
To the editor, I am very concerned over the unrest with the Columbia County Rural Library District and the petition to dissolve the rural library district. Our library serves many people in our community of all ages. I do realize that there is an issue with some of the books and what age level they have been accessible to. It is certainly cause for concern but abandoning the library is a drastic measure and would leave a very large hole in our community. The library offers the ability to make...
By Sandra Renner There’s a certain charm and nostalgia related to farmers markets in rural communities. The tradition of farmers, gardeners, artisans, and bakers bringing their wares to town to sell at the market has been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. From August 6 to 12, communities across the country will come together to celebrate National Farmers Market Week, highlighting the role these venues play in supporting healthy communities, growing local food systems, and stimulating rural economies. Always focused on selling f...
OLYMPIA–Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, and ranking Republican on the House Environment and Energy Committee, issued the following statement in response to a news conference held by Gov. Jay Inslee today where he blamed the oil industry for sky-high fuel prices in Washington state. “Washington state has the highest gas prices in the nation because of the governor’s cap-and-trade program that took effect in January. Governor Inslee’s new climate mandate, which is the most expensive of its kind in the...
By Eric E. McKeirnan Guest Columnist I write this on behalf of the Knights of Columbus, the 1460 here in Pomeroy, and our Round Table brothers in Dayton and around Columbia County. We had a sausage, pancake, scrambled egg, muffin, applesauce, and fresh fruit benefit breakfast to support our local swim team as we have done for many years. Reading the EW, it seems that our dear neighbors in Dayton are struggling with a community swimming pool. In Pomeroy, we are lucky. That hole in the ground is filled with the heartwarming chirps and screams and...
As I was breezing through Facebook recently, I read a message by one of my friends (unnamed for privacy reasons) questioning the pool district. I wanted to bring this to people who do not have internet, Facebook, or do not use Facebook, because it is an important consideration. (My opinion follows). The message reads like this (unedited): So I ask for imput on the information about the pool that Columbia County will be voting on and how it differs from what a different committee had been trying to do to get a pool opened again in Dayton. These...
