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Opinion

August 20, 2013

Letters to the Editor for Aug. 20, 2013

EIS will look at bigger picture This is a letter about the EIS for the proposed coal export terminal in Bellingham. Recently there has been a debate about shipping coal through the Pacific Northwest. The coal would travel from Wyoming through the Columbia River Gorge and up the coast to the proposed Cherry Point Terminal in Bellingham. This terminal would be the largest in North America and require about 18 trainloads of coal a day to travel through here.

August 13, 2013

Expect a busy election season

Now that the Primary Election has come to a close, local political watchers have begun to eye the upcoming General Election. And based on the number of candidates and issues that will be on the ballot, it's going to be a busy election season.

August 13, 2013

Editorial assertions about youth not based on facts

The July 30 Camas-Washougal Post-Record editorial "Is today's gridlock turning off tomorrow's leaders?" is an example of why such articles appear on the opinion pages of the newspaper. Unfortunately, several assertions are based on assumptions, not facts. The article suggests young people 18 to 25 years of age want no part of public service and the voting process because they "see so many power struggles, so much political posturing, nastiness and gridlock at all levels."

August 13, 2013

Letter to the Editor for Aug. 13, 2013

Citizen wants answers to coal train issues Washougal was my home for 52 years until my recent retirement. I still feel that Washougal is my home town.

August 6, 2013

Saving Camp Melacoma

More than 100 acres of open space, plenty of fresh air, lots of room to roam, completely natural surroundings. For many city dwellers, even small cities like Camas and Washougal, these aren't things they get to experience on a day-to-day basis. But fortunately, it's not necessary to travel too far find to find them. And thanks to the efforts of one local couple, a popular youth summer residence camp will be preserved for current and future generations to have this kind of special outdoor experience for many years to come.

August 6, 2013

Camas congresswoman should also consider the plights of other families

Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler and her husband, Daniel, termed "miraculous" the birth of their daughter, Abigail, several weeks ago. They had chosen to continue the pregnancy after receiving the diagnosis of Potter's syndrome which is essentially the failure of the baby's kidneys to form. I am not a fan of Rep. Herrera Beutler's politics, but I was saddened by the news of the baby's condition and what it would mean to her family. I also viewed the situation as an incredible opportunity for this congresswoman to experience firsthand the agony of a family faced with the heartbreaking choices involved in managing such a pregnancy.

July 31, 2013

Vote Greenlee for Washougal City Council

With a controversial issue, its mayoral seat and several City Council seats set to be on Washougal voters' General Election ballots this year, it certainly won't be a boring election season in the small city of 15,000 people. But on Aug. 6 Primary Election ballots, there's just one city government issue to decide on, and really it's a decision that shouldn't be too hard at all. For the Position 3 seat, voters have a choice between incumbent Paul Greenlee, city political arena newcomer Lisa Voeltz, and George Kolin, who unsuccessfully ran for Washougal City Council once before in 2011.

July 31, 2013

Is today’s gridlock turning off tomorrow’s leaders?

With beautiful mid-summer days in full swing, it would be easy to completely forget about the so-called important issues we normally wrestle with locally in Camas, Washougal and throughout Clark County. Especially if you are a young person 18 to 25 years of age. Really, do we think many of our 18- to 25-year-olds, currently enjoying days at the river, trips to the beach, concerts in Portland or getting prepared for college in the fall are going to give scant attention, right now, to the issues that may affect them considerably in years to come?

July 23, 2013

Give parents full-day option

After many years of discussion and speculation, during this most recent session state legislators and ultimately Gov. Jay Inslee approved funding in the state operating budget that will allow for a greater number of schools to offer full-day kindergarten to some students. As detailed in a article in today's Post-Record, the funding is a step toward compliance with the Supreme Court McCleary decision, which mandates that lawmakers must fully fund basic education, including kindergarten, by 2018. In its first year, grants for full-day kindergarten at schools with the highest rates of poverty were given first priority.