Child categories
| Category | Path |
|---|---|
| Editorial | /Opinion/Editorial |
| Letters-to-the-editor | /Opinion/Letters-to-the-editor |
LETTER: Sheriff no-confidence vote seems like political tactic
I've lived in Grant County long enough to know the difference between a real problem and election-year politics. A so-called vote of no confidence suddenly appears just before ballots are mailed? That doesn't pass the smell test. If these concerns were truly about improving the Sheriff's Office, why weren't they brought up months ago? To me, the timing screams political motivation. Here's what I do know: Crime is down. Sheriff Joey Kriete is accessible to the public, engaged in our communities, willing to learn and improve, and fiscally responsible with our tax dollars. Those are the things I expect from my sheriff.
COLUMN: What would happen if we assumed the best about each other?
Anger has become one of the easiest emotions to find. Open social media, turn on cable news or scroll through the comments section of almost any public discussion, and you will find people questioning one another's motives, intelligence and character. Somewhere along the way, disagreement became evidence that someone must be selfish, ignorant or acting in bad faith. But what would happen if we assumed the best about each other instead? Living in the Columbia Basin offers a useful perspective on that question. Unlike larger cities where people can disappear into their own circles, we live in communities where our paths cross repeatedly. We attend the same football games, shop at the same grocery stores, volunteer for the same fundraisers and support the same local businesses. Before anything else, we are neighbors.
GRANDMA GREEN SAYS: Responsible parents vaccinate their children
A while ago I had watched the Senate hearings involving Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. I was impressed by how bipartisan the questioning was. It certainly was an eye-opener. In 1952, at the height of the polio epidemic, nearly 58,000 people were hit by polio. The 2024 census has Moses Lake’s population at 26,969, so double that plus 5,000 more and you would have about 58,000. Of those 58,000, 3,145 died and 21,269 were left permanently stricken. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, our 32nd president, was one of those stricken, having to use leg braces enabling him to walk.
BARE OUR SHELVES: See what’s happening at the Moses Lake Library
Have you recently visited the Moses Lake Public Library? If not, from June to September 2024, we completed a shelving replacement project thanks to a generous local anonymous donor who contributed $100,000 through our Moses Lake Public Library Foundation. This allowed for increased mobility and visibility, along with a continued focus on providing more seating options. This shelving project also let us incorporate more space-efficient shelving and condense the number of materials across each collection, also allowing for more programming space and a dedicated Teen Area. While some areas may look like there are fewer books on the shelves, there are as many or more books than before the project began (we promise!).
GUEST COMMENTARY: I remember Dachau
I remember Dachau. It is either late spring or early summer of 1956 – everything is in full bloom and green. We are taking a vacation through Germany, northern Italy, Switzerland, Monaco, France and Spain. One place we visited today is Dachau. I am 8, going on 9; Doll is about 7. Mom and Dad, I am sure, explain to Doll and me what a concentration camp is. They take no pictures with the Brownie, but I do have a few, vivid images of Dachau to this day. As we pull up to the camp outside of Munich, I see the greenest green meadows all around – so green, they hurt my eyes. The breeze flows through the grass, bending it softly to its will and sweeps across the meadows like moving ocean waves. It is so calming. I don’t understand why these fields are so green and others aren’t.
GRANDMA GREEN SAYS: Are we learning from history?
The other day, as I was grocery shopping, I heard a gentleman complaining about the high prices. Before I thought, I said, “Be glad we don’t live in Ukraine.” I got to thinking how true that is. We are concerned about the cost of gas and groceries and the skyrocketing cost of living, and some people about whether they can afford to go on a vacation. The people of Ukraine are worried about their existence, spending time in shelters due to Russia’s bombing, lack of food, medical needs, et cetera. I am 100% sure that Ukraine and those countries in turmoil would gladly trade places and only have to worry about gas and grocery prices.
GUEST COLUMN: Fake experts equal real risk
A colleague of mine loves his cats. So, when he saw a social media post from a veterinarian warning that toxic mold in his cat’s water fountain might be poisoning them, he couldn’t resist clicking through to the full article. The vet highlighted her credentials, stating that she had been in practice for nine years and saw 60 cats per month. She said she had two cats herself and showed pictures of pink toxic slime in several cat water fountains. Her conclusion was to buy her recommended “safe” fountain, with a link to purchase.
LETTER: Memories of 9/11
It was 5:30 am, September 11, 2001. As usual, the counselor and I walked from the school to the football field and back before school started. Streetlights guided us down to the field and back. As we walked back, a friend stepped out on his porch and hollered, “A plane just hit the Twin Towers!” It was just after 6:00 am PST. I thought he was talking about a Cessna. We retraced our steps. School would start in two hours, and we had to prepare for the day
LETTER: Renters drink the same water, so why were we left out?
When is Mayor Peter Sharp going to step forward and accept responsibility for what happens within the City of Soap Lake? Whenever concerns are raised, we hear blame directed toward the City Council. The council did place restrictions on the mayor’s authority, but those restrictions did not remove him from office or erase his statutory duties. Under RCW 35A.12.100, the mayor remains Soap Lake’s chief executive and administrative officer, with general supervision over city administration. Most residents have already heard the allegations and controversies surrounding City Hall. Those matters can be addressed through the appropriate investigations and public processes. Right now, we need to confront a recent and documented failure involving our drinking water.
GRANDMA GREEN SAYS: Back to school
Well, summer break is almost at its conclusion. So, on Wednesday, Sept, 2, I, at 85 years of age, will be heading back to school. Only in the afternoon, though. How did I wind up in the classroom? My daughter is a fifth-grade teacher at Garden Heights Elementary School. I was going up in the summer to help her prepare for the following school year. There was a lot to do. It was then I learned I could help in the classroom, when class was in session. What did I have to do? Go to the administration office at 1620 S. Pioneer Way and fill out the necessary paperwork and the required background check. Yay, I passed.
