News and media organizations requesting official statements from representatives within an organization or speaking on their behalf is their duty to be a credible source when releasing information to the public.

2019 Voter’s Ballots and Pamphlets arrived in mailboxes this week. At the Sunnyside Post Office, the 128-page pamphlets, transcribed in both English and Spanish, were stacked upon tables next to recycle bins — they were unable to fit inside the blue containers usually reserved for junk mail or unwanted correspondence.

Mabton High School teacher Sarah Clouse and her students are discussing and learning about Current World Problems this quarter. As part of their classroom program, groups of students have teamed up and opted to write a shared opinion letter for publication – to provide their strong voice on subjects which inspire thoughts and ideas within the lower valley.

The role of the community newspaper has been both suspect and ambiguous, since the earliest origins of producing local news. The first recorded paper was labeled ‘suspect’ in 1690 when Benjamin Harrison, one of the first English journalists printed, but was unable to distribute, the ‘Publick Occurrences: Both Foreign and Domestic’.

Letters to the editor at the Sunnyside Sun are greatly encouraged and genuinely appreciated — when we receive them. A longstanding newspaper tradition and an essential component of our democracy, writing a letter to the editor, is how readers not only express their issues of concern but it’s an effective interaction which strengthens our community.

Let’s just do it – we can all do a better job of selling Sunnyside. We can no longer rely on a couple of great parades or an annual street fair to attract visitors to our hometown.

Mabton High School students took charge of a potentially violent situation on Wednesday, Sept. 11. They acted together and used communication systems and training to prevent a possible threat from escalating into an act of school and community violence. This is no small charge. The many pieces of prevention training paid off.

September is national Hunger Action Month – a month where people all over America stand together to fight hunger. It’s a month to spread the word and act on the hunger crisis to aid in the awareness in finding a solution so no child, adult or senior experiences enduring hunger.

18 years ago, terrorists declared war on America with four coordinated attacks against the United States on the morning of September 11 - taking the lives of 3,000 people, injuring over 6,000 others, and destroying both World Trade Center buildings and severely damaging the Pentagon.

The City of Sunnyside and Port District agencies each share in economic development pursuits; they receive taxpayer monies to move binding interests forward with a goal of generating revenues which strengthen long term growth. The port’s success coupled with its leadership stability has created a powerful authority which rises above their city colleagues.

As the back to school intensity begins to pick up throughout the lower valley for students and parents, there’s a momentum of building advanced programs at area campuses with the construction of facilities. These facilities when complete, will accommodate expanding educational opportunities …

Sunnyside’s National Night Out was a community summer party which brought residents together as neighbors and strengthened the relationship between families and law enforcement while enhancing our hometown values of public safety, education and old fashion fun.

The timing of Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Federal Civil Rights lawsuit against the city of Sunnyside one week before the primary election day was a well prepared and calculated announcement to bring statewide attention to both parties and their communications breakdown in failing to resolve the city’s Crime Free Rental Housing Program (CFRHP) issues.

Carrying out the duties of public office can be a thankless job. The sacrifice of time lost with family and the disruptive scrutiny of representing your community whether you’re in agreement with constituents or not – all our lower valley elected officials should be thanked for their willingness to serve their respective communities.

Summertime recreational fun of cooling off with family and friends or swimming laps as part of a fitness routine at the Sunnyside pool should be open to all, even on Saturdays – an entire day of private pool rental availability, from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. prohibits community-wide accessibility of the city’s downtown public attraction.