Child categories
| Category | Path |
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| Editorial | /Opinion/Editorial |
| Letters-to-the-editor | /Opinion/Letters-to-the-editor |
COMMENTARY: The Fourth of July isn’t just about fireworks – it’s about showing up
By the time the sun sets on the Fourth of July, we’ll be gathered in parks, lining sidewalks and watching fireworks light up the sky. It’s a tradition that most of us look forward to every year. But as meaningful as those moments are, they only touch part of what this holiday is about. Independence Day isn’t just something we celebrate; it’s something we take part in. Freedom doesn’t just take care of itself. It’s not kept alive by parades or speeches alone. It lasts because ordinary people show up, day after day, in ways that don’t always get noticed.
COLUMN: An honor to be on the fire line
As reporters, we spend a lot of time telling other people's stories. Every once in a while, though, you find yourself in the middle of one. On the Fourth of July, I spent nearly 14 hours alongside Grant County Fire District 7. I arrived at the station around noon expecting to learn more about the department, cover the holiday festivities and maybe respond to a call or two. Instead, I witnessed firsthand how quickly a celebration can turn into an emergency.
GUEST COMMENTARY: Sports and music bring good things to the world
I hope everyone had a wonderful, safe Fourth of July weekend, plus the 250th birthday of our beautiful USA. Me, I chose to watch the World Cup. The game between Cape Verde and Argentina was totally amazing. Cape Verde, ranked 67th in the world rankings, battling No. 1 in the world, Argentina. A lot of people were rooting for Cape Verde, the underdog. Argentina was victorious in OT, 3-2, and goes on to play Egypt. The USA team plays Belgium in Seattle on Monday. By the time you read this, it will already have been played. Hopefully our young men have advanced to the quarter finals.
LETTER: Listen to firefighters when it comes to fireworks
I just read Nance Beston’s column in today’s paper, “An honor to be on the fire line.” It certainly lets us know where our fire people spend their Fourths. I have something that has struck me wrong the last couple of weeks. A while ago I heard on the Spokane news that some community was threatening to sue if fireworks were banned, as it was a violation of their rights on the Fourth. Question: Where were fireworks first used?
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.
