Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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This is an open letter to what appears to be a growing number of dog owners who have decided the Wheat Land Communities’ Fairgrounds is a good place to let their dog, or in some cases dogs, run loose. I walk and jog through the fairgrounds regularly. Contrary to the apparent opinion of some dog owners, the Wheat Land Communities Fairgrounds is not an off-leash dog park. The fairgrounds are within the city limits of Ritzville. All city ordinances, including the leash law, apply at the fairgrounds. One can no more turn a dog l... Full story
It is getting close to a year since we had an armed assault on a power station in California and we have no answers from our government. Last April 16 a person or persons slipped into an underground vault outside of San Jose. Telephone cables were cut in a way that made them difficult to repair. Cameras picked up a streak of light about a half hour later and snipers opened fire. The shooter appeared to be aiming at the transformer’s cooling systems that were filled with oil. The system leaked 52,000 gallons that caused the s... Full story
Legislators in Olympia, Wash., wake up. Idaho taking over. “Here facts” Gasoline: One gallon gas at Love’s Truck Stop in Ritzville, $3.35 One gallon gas at station in Ritzville, $3.35 One gallon gas at Post Falls, Idaho, Love’s, $3.09 Cigarettes: One pack at Jim’s Market, $8.59 One pack at super store in Post Falls, $5.36 Whiskey: One fifth R&R at Will’s Liquor Store, $15.00 One fifth R&R in Idaho, $9.22 Jan. 31, 2014: State taxes and fees closed our doors and didn’t even have a key. Bill and Jeanette Wills, Lind...
We have the White House and their party trying to shift the news media away from their most recent problems. We had warm weather, draught, electricity shortage, and petroleum shortages for many years. Think back to the 70s with California talking about running a pipeline from the Columbia River, lines at the gas pump, room temperatures at 62 degrees in schools and government buildings. Also, we need to remember rationing during World War II. We would have enough petroleum if Obama would approve Keystone and the electricity...
We in our household agree with the editor who titled Pastor Steve Schofstoll’s Pastor’s Perspective of last week: “read the book,” i.e., the Holy Bible. Unfortunately a few things raised by Pastor Schofstoll will require alternative searches as Ash Wednesday and Lent, are not to be found in the Bible; Google searches will provide good information regarding the origins of Ash Wednesday and Lent and the other aspects of the 40 days mentioned. They are the inventions of the Roman Catholic Church. A number of protestant denomin... Full story
President Obama’s “State of the Union Address” was received with the obligatory applause but even his oratorical skills couldn’t hide the lack of enthusiasm that he had shown in previous addresses. He really made a serious blunder by not establishing some political capital during his first two years when he had both houses. His ambitions from previous years have basically been defeated. His signature healthcare law that he has illegally amended 16 times is floundering and the prevarications that have been adding up are cau...
During the recent election Lind and Ritzville voters were asked to approve replacement Maintenance and Operation (M&O) levies, and the Lind School District voters were asked to support a 15-year, four million dollar bond. Currently, the Lind M&O is passing at 73.9 percent, the Ritzville M&O is passing at 68.6 percent, and the Lind bond is passing at 69.5 percent. When the preliminary election results were released on the evening of Feb. 11, I felt a true sense of awe. I was amazed at the level of support we received from our...
I for one am extremely tired of our little newspaper being used as a regular political column. I feel this is taking advantage of our “Letter to the Editor” space. Correct me, if I’m wrong, but it seem the space is meant for local people to discuss local problems. Mr. Ray doesn’t even live in Ritzville. And he has hardly missed an issue in at least a year. Is there some reason we have become Mr. Ray’s political platform. It’s bad enough during presidential election years, but this seems, to me, to go beyond what we should h...
America has a new insidious disease that is choking the life out of our population! It’s called apathy. We are rapidly developing to what is going on around us. Korea and Vietnam should have awakened us! Or when we passed one trillion dollars for our national debt during President Ronald Reagan’s time in office. Then we have President Bill Clinton who was brash enough to tax social security and lie about Monica. The fiasco of Iraq during the Bush years as our debt is climbing at a faster rate. Then we have Obamacare; Afg...
Most of us laugh at the antics of Toronto’s Mayor while Canada’s Foreign Minister pointedly complains that President Obama needs to give them an answer about Keystone. Canadians don’t understand how and why Obama keeps them in limbo on an issue whose merits were settled years ago. Canada is committed to developing their priceless resource! We are their natural export partner and we have had good relations with them for many years. Crossing the border requires State Department approval so Obama must say yes or no. When you d... Full story
This report on Washington state and climate change http://cses.washington.edu/db/pdf/snoveretalsok816.pdf says: “Washington crops and livestock will be affected by climate change via warming temperatures, rising atmospheric carbon dioxide, increasing water stress, declining availability of irrigation water, and changing pressures from pests, weeds, and pathogens. Different crops and locations will experience different impacts.” President Obama stated he’ll address the threats of climate change by executive order if neces...
Our President has been reading the polls and they are causing him to make mistakes. Unfortunately he chose to bemoan his predicament on MLK Day, which was really in questionable taste. He tried to play the Rodney Dangerfield and the race card when nationwide people of most races were marching together. History should have told him that the second term has been tougher for many presidents. He needs to recognize that positive results are what America needs to see for their support to be earned. He had two years with a blue Hous...
Fifty years ago Lydon B. Johnson declared a war on poverty. Even though disadvantaged people have access to better living conditions and very few are actually hungry his program failed. He wanted people to have the opportunity to (earn a living) and not live on doles of which there are more than 80 means-tested welfare programs. During 2012 alone our government spent $916 billion on these programs at an average cost of $9,000 per recipient. The average American living below the poverty line has a home that is in good repair...
Now that my 2013 term as Ritzville Area Chamber of Commerce President has ended, I wanted to highlight something that I feel makes the difference between a town merely surviving and thriving. Right now our town has a very strong group of people who volunteer in multiple organizations. Many of these people have been on the same boards and committees for years. Almost all of these people would love to share their passion and talents with new volunteers. There are several new people who have moved to our community who I believe...
I’m Andrea Estes, Owner of Andy’s Fruit and Produce. I sell fresh fruit and vegetables to the community of Ritzville through the summer months at the parking lot of Sterling Bank. I have done this for over 15 years. My husband died suddenly in November of 2010 of a heart attack while hunting in the Leavenworth area. My life changed instantly. In his memory, I give educational scholarship to local graduating seniors from Chelan and Douglas County areas. Through the generosity and support from the Ritzville Community, I hav...
President Obama care or the ASA includes taxes on about 30 different things. The first one took effect on Jan. 1. It targets small business (under 50 employees) and individual markets. It is projects to collect $8 billion in 2014 and $101 billion over the next decade. Most employers with more than 500 workers and most union negotiated health plans are self insured thus are spared from the tax. So is insurance run on behalf of “Government Entities” such as original Medicare. This political selectivity means that most gold plat...
On behalf of our college batch- Cor Dei Humanitas 2001, I would like to thank the staff of the Life Care Center of Ritzville and the community of Ritzville for your support in our relief operation for the Typhoon Victims in the Philippines, particularly in my hometown Iloilo. After hearing and seeing the devastation that the typhoon brought to our hometown, our college batch decided to work with a Church group “The Lingkod Ng Paninoon” (Servants of God) to organize a fundraising campaign to provide assistance to the vic... Full story
President Obama and his staff made a huge miscalculation when they thought that they could convince tens of millions of Americans that they were not capable of knowing what is best for them. Mr. Obama after all is a politician and they are not known for their complete honesty. He is not blessed with business or military experience where he would have learned how to handle problems without making things worse. He is a person who vaulted into a national prominence with one speech at the democratic convention in 2004. He was a...
At 12:46 p.m. on Friday (Dec. 20), the alert went out for a multi-vehicle, multi-injury accident on I-90. Within less than a minute, an ambulance and a rescue unit were on the street. Again, the call went out for more help and by 1 p.m., three more ambulances and five fire/rescue trucks were in route. Over the next hours under the command of Rural Chief Scott Kembel and EMS Coordinator Roni Kinney, all the people needing help were removed and transported to East Adams Rural Hospital. There, Brenda Herr, CNO and her staff...
Many of us who buy uninsured motorist insurance do so because statistics tell us that 20 percent of drivers are irresponsible and either don’t have insurance or it is inadequate. Now Obama Care comes along and we are forced to give up our policies to cover people, many of whom are irresponsible and don’t take care of themselves. The A.C.A. Statistics show 15 percent or 40 million people are not covered because of pre-existing conditions or they can’t afford it or don’t want it. I believe that most of us who pay our own way wo... Full story
President Obama does have a heart! He sneaked the ACA past the hard fighting republicans with the help of some almost unbelievable circumstances. He did this by taking affordable insurance away from the majority of Americans who had chosen their policies to fit their needs. He did this so that a small minority of people could have insurance. I have not heard one person utter the question about how many of these people are American citizens. Thus we come to the reason I think makes the case for believing he has a heart. He nee...
Concerning the sex offender case in the November 21 paper, some serious and misleading statements need to be cleared up. Having my picture and the things said about me are very disturbing and misleading. I am not guilty of molesting anyone. I was falsely charged by my alcoholic wife in Canada in 2010 with molesting her granddaughter. I am on Social Security and don’t have unlimited funds to hire a good attorney. The article said I fled Canada (not true). Immigration Canada was in the process of deporting me. I want the p...
The recent public meeting held by the East Adams Rural Hospital District No. 2 was well done. While there was clearly tension among the commissioners, they treated the public with respect. The commissioners gave those attending the meeting time to express themselves regarding the options presented by the hospital board. The hospital board presented three options: A for $6.4 million, B for $8.5 million and C for $12.6 million. The board intends to provide $4 million from their stash so the voters would be asked to fund $2.4, $... Full story
Have you noticed the Ritz Theater as of late? It looks really good and the volunteers need to be commended for their work and dedication. There is just 45,000 dollars to go to completely renovate the theater. If 45 people gave a thousand dollars that would finish it off or if 90 people gave 500 that would finish it off. Let’s see if we can’t give ourselves, and Eastern Adams County, a Christmas gift this year and finish off an icon of the area we all can enjoy for years to come and our children can enjoy as well. If you can...
I believe that commendations are in order for Larry Swift, Ritzville Public Works Director, his crew, and the engineers hired by the city. We, the City Council, charged them with the most ambitious undertaking of projects for the year of 2013, which I have ever seen in the 10 years I have been here. They were called upon to oversee the drilling of a well, the installation of numerous waterlines, the reconstruction of First Avenue and the intersection of Division, Bauman Road, and Smitty’s Boulevard, the construction of a b... Full story