Opinion

Welcome to a New Year, a time for dreaming and fresh beginnings. In that spirit, The Whistle has several announcements and changes that should prove refreshing in the months ahead. Pardon the chilly reference, but feel free to view me and this column as the tip of a community iceberg in 2023. I...
Seasons greetings! In our time presenting The Whistle to the Upper Valley, we admit we’ve served up some spicy observations. It hasn’t always been easy to take our elected officials and the workings of City Hall to task, but we believe that thoughtful opinion in the local press is key to a healthy...
The last Whistle blew long and strong for a more comprehensive, altruistic, and diverse membership on the Leavenworth Planning Commission. This week, the Whistle is blowing to petition the Planning Commission and City Council take a step back to view the big picture and the impact of multiple...
The Planning Commission (PC) is a crucial group in any town. PCs deal with codes around land use and legislative policy, as well as comprehensive and long range planning. It’s a complex and challenging mix, most effective when membership includes qualified residents who represent a broad range of...

Anne Hessburg Submitted Photo
Shon Smith, who is running for Chelan County Commissioner, lead over Anne Hessburg after the second round of ballot counts were released Thursday, Nov. 10th. According to Chelan County auditor’s office, with 50.2% of the vote, Smith, a Republican, lead his opponent, Independent Hessberg by only 143...
Let’s get this PC thing out of the way. It’s probably not politically correct to say so but as far as this columnist can tell, the PC (aka Planning Commission), while advertising for diversity, is ideologically skewed and scoots along the edge of conflict of interest where some of the membership is...
Disclosure: I’m odd. I don’t take sides unless absolutely necessary and I have never strongly affiliated with political parties, even in today’s a politically polarized fun house. I have faith in great ideas from diverse sources, innovation, and most of all collaboration. Odder still, I am fiercely...
Time may wait for no one, but The Whistle has requested an extra two weeks on your behalf. It seems most of the community missed the October 19 deadline for comment on the MDNS (Mitigated Determination of Non Significance) for an unprecedented development in the process of being green-lighted by...
In the late 1980s, mismanagement cast Cascade Medical Center (CMC) into financial ruin. Doctors and staff left in droves. Morale and trust were decimated. A CEO was finally hired to close CMC due to insolvency and imminent bankruptcy. Instead, healthcare leaders came together to face the ugly mess...
Some days are harder than others. On the tough days, I’ve just learned that another citizen has given up trying to effect change, that they’ve relinquished the notion of trusting our city’s representative government when it comes to neighborhood and land development. They might be saddened by the...

User menu

NCW Media Newspapers