Subscribe

Opinion

July 9, 2013

Letters to the Editor for July 9, 2013

Speak out against coal today Situated astride the corridor to three oil terminals and three coal terminals, Camas and Washougal will be in the middle of one of the largest increases in pollution ever imagined. Over 100 million tons of coal and 100 million barrels of crude oil are set to move through our neighborhood every year. This expansion of the fossil fuel supply could soon push us over the tipping point to irreversible global warming.

July 2, 2013

Tapping into Camas-Washougal tourism

Camas and Washougal are great towns with lots to offer and lots of potential. This was one of the overriding themes emphasized during a town hall meeting in Washougal on Saturday, where among the discussion items was promotion of the city's current festivals, events, businesses and activities, as well as the possibility of developing new opportunities and attractions. Many ideas were bounced around. Washougal city officials and citizens suggested a fishing derby, boat races, car shows and scavenger hunts. Discussion also centered on working to promote at a regional level what is already available in the "gateway to the Gorge."

July 2, 2013

Letter to the Editor for July 2, 2013

Government change discussion is a waste of time I read with interest the opinion this week from Dave Shoemaker, who is on the Washougal City Council. Dave raises a number of excellent points. I’ve had e-mail discussions with several other members of the council and the mayor.

June 25, 2013

Reading truly is fundamental

Earlier this month, some surprising results of a national study were released to the public. According to the study funded by Reading Is Fundamental and Macy’s, only one in three parents read bedtime stories to their children every night. The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, also found that 50 percent of parents say their children spend more time with TV or video games than with books.

June 25, 2013

The effects of change

About midway through a 40-plus year management career, I became interested in the phenomenon of organizational change. I learned that people don't necessarily resist change, but do resist the way change affects them personally. The proposal to convert Washougal from a strong mayor to a council-manager type of municipal government portends the type of change that begets both benefits and difficulties. Among the latter are the effects it will have on current and future council members and candidates, as well as the city administrator. I leave to others the task of making the case for change. My focus in this editorial is on the effects the proposed change would have on the job of the city council, and the qualifications needed for the job. These issues deserve consideration during the debate.

June 18, 2013

It could be time for a change in Washougal city government

Sometimes change can be good. In the near future, we may see changes in government at the county level. In the recent past, Ridgefield and Battle Ground changed their city governments from a strong mayor to a council-manager form. Maybe now is the time for a similar change in Washougal. At the June 10 Washougal city workshop, Councilwoman Joyce Lindsay requested time at the next workshop (June 24) to discuss putting forth to voters the option of changing Washougal's form of city government from the strong mayor system we have now, to the council-manager form.

June 11, 2013

Graduates have an exciting road ahead

This weekend, more than 600 seniors will go through commencement ceremonies in their quest to officially become high school graduates.

June 11, 2013

Letters to the Editor for June 11, 2013

Commemorate Flag Day June 14 is National Flag Day. The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Schick-Ogle Post 4278 asks that local residents commemorate this day by flying our national flag.

June 4, 2013

It’s about the animals

At its heart, the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society is an organization that does an incredible amount of good work in the Camas and Washougal communities. The no-kill shelter located in the Port of Camas-Washougal Industrial Park is a nonprofit group funded mainly through donations. The city of Washougal also contracts with the dog shelter to provide space for dogs brought in by animal control.

June 4, 2013

Letters to the Editor for June 4, 2013

Coal trains will benefit jobs, economy I've spent 13 years at BNSF Railway, working on trains as conductor and engineer. I’ve dealt with a lot of manufactured products traveling on our trains. However, I've never had to deal with a manufactured issue until the recent conversation about coal dust.