Letters-to-the-Editor ~~ Front Porch Review

The October 2013 issue of Front Porch Review is now available. Click on this link http://www.frontporchrvw.com to view an intriguing collection of prose, poetry and visual arts. Please take a moment to click on the author’s name to read his or her biography; each is worth knowing.

An important note: if your e-mail address changes or you wish to opt out of receiving these notifications (one less e-mail to ponder), please let me know.

The submission date for the next issue is no later than January 4, 2014. Whether you are new or old to this magazine, please consider submitting material.

Thanks, and I welcome your comments.

Regards,

Glen Phillips
Publisher

Goodbye to Washington State Senator Mike Carrell - from Senator Mark Schoesler.

So long to a fellow senator and true statesman

Statesmanship can be in short supply at the Capitol, so I thought you ought to know that the state Senate, and our state, have lost someone who exemplified the word "statesman": Senator Mike Carrell, who passed away yesterday morning over at a hospital in Seattle. He’d been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a blood-cell disorder, in mid-February and had to stay away from the Capitol from mid-March on, because the aggressive treatment made him more vulnerable to other health issues. Even so, and not surprisingly, he remained engaged by phone from his home in Lakewood (about a half-hour’s drive north of the Capitol) all the way through the April 28 end of the regular session.

Only one person served side-by-side with Mike during each of his 19 years as a legislator: me. I had two sessions under my belt when Mike came to the House of Representatives following the 1994 election, and we both moved to the Senate starting in 2005. Mike had spent time as a member of the Senate Republican leadership team, and this year he was chairman of the Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee.

	Sen. Mike Carrell, at left, was a skilled legislator and leader. This photo was taken in early March in the Senate chamber; within a couple of weeks Mike had to stop coming to the Capitol while he was treated for the blood-cell disorder that contributed to his death yesterday.

Although Mike served a largely suburban, western Washington district, his accomplishments would ring a bell with the people of the 9th Legislative District. As a career educator he was well-suited to become a leader on the issue of education reform; considering his constituents once included the inmates of a now-closed state prison, it probably came naturally to Mike to write the state’s “Becca” laws, which help identify at-risk youth who skip school so they can be given the assistance they need to avoid becoming residents of the state’s correctional facilities.

He was a crusader for welfare reform, a recent example being a successful effort to combat the misuse of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards. Mike's district includes the state-run mental hospital in Steilacoom – the counterpart to Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake – and this year he successfully led the move to create a law that takes the first step toward creating a comprehensive, statewide mental-health database. Law enforcement will now have access a complete list of individuals who should be prevented from owning firearms due to a mental illness.

Mike’s legislative district is home to the state’s largest military base, and he also was a vocal advocate for our men and women in uniform. His work on behalf of active-duty military and veterans – such as the Interstate 5 overpass in Pierce County now known as the Freedom Bridge due to his efforts – will not be forgotten.

Mike was a vibrant 69-year-old who, as a retired science teacher, would have known he had a tough fight on his hands once his illness was identified. While he passed away peacefully with family and friends at his side, the news of his death still came as a shock. I am sorry for his family’s loss, of course, but it’s also a loss for our state and the people he represented. As I said to the reporter from the Tacoma newspaper, Mike was a proud, conservative Republican who worked well with Democrats, especially when it came to issues related to human services and corrections. It’s a trait we need more of here, and we’ve lost someone with it. 

 Sen. Mark Schoesler

Letters-to-the-Editor -- Assistant Attorney General for Government Accountability

Mona Leeson Vanek,

I received your email dated March 8, 2013 which reads:

I regularly publish Palouse Town Council Meeting Minutes, and minutes of Public Hearings held by regional city and town councils, here: The North Palouse Washington e-Newscast, www.palousenewscast.com.

Because of Mayor Harnois' statement at a recent Rockford Town Council meeting, I'd appreciate it if you can clarify (or direct me to) Washington State laws covering this issue where Town or City Council public meetings are concerned. Is it necessary to inform the public that their name will be public record when they attend, and therefore open to the public and could be published in any venue?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Excerpt, February 20, 2013 Rockford Town Council Meeting minutes (published here, http://tinyurl.com/b95449t)

Minutes:
Thomas Smith made a motion to approve the minutes of the February 6, 2013 meeting. Clint Stevenson seconded the motion, motion carried.

Phil Evans asked why the minutes are not on the Town’s web site and why did people not want their names on the web site. The minutes are all public record.

Micki Harnois answered that people don’t want their names published in the public record. The Town will have to ask their permission to put their names in the minutes if they are made public on a web site.
----------------------------------------------- end excerpt

A number of town and city councils on the Palouse publish public meetings and Public Hearings minutes regularly on their official town websites. Not all clerks record the names of people in attendance in their minutes, however they may or may not have a 'sign-in' sheet in town files.

Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
Mona Leeson Vanek
mtscribbler@air-pipe.com
Editor, The North Palouse Washington e-Newscast, www.palousenewscast.com.

Meeting minutes are a public record and I don’t understand why the Mayor would conclude that people don’t want their names published in the minutes.  I don’t agree that a person who publicly testifies at a council meetings using their name would then object to their name appearing in the minutes.  The council doesn’t need to ask their permission.  Posting meeting minutes on the town’s website serves the public and also reduces the workload of city staff in responding to public records requests.

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Tim Ford

Open Government Ombudsman

Assistant Attorney General for Government Accountability

Attorney General of Washington

1125 Washington St, SE

Olympia, WA  98504

(360) 586-4802

timf@atg.wa.gov

http://www.atg.wa.gov/OpenGovernment/Ombudsman.aspx

DISCLAIMER:  This email is subject to public disclosure pursuant to Ch 42.56 RCW.  This email is not intended or offered to provide legal advice or legal representation by the Office of the Attorney General to any recipient.

Letters-to-the-Editor, Darlene LaShaw, Clerk, Rockford, Wash.

Hi!

This note is to let you know that towards the end of March I will be leaving my job with the Town.   I started working here in March of 1995 so I thought I would leave in March, a few years later.  I have had a number of good years working here but I feel it is time for me to go.  I hope to spend more time at home with my family and get to work on some of the many things I’ve wanted to do for years.

There seemed to be always something new happening while working for the Town.  There was never a dull day.   The things I have learned and observed over the years!  I’ve always thought how funny that it was never their dog.  I’ve been told by many how many times they flush their toilets per day.  I have found out there are more ways to argue a point when there really wasn’t anything to argue about in the first place. I’ve come to the conclusion that some people should never plan to play poker.  Change is hard for many.

More importantly, I have found that there are many truly wonderful people in our town and the surrounding area.  I have seen many open their hearts, cupboards, clean out their basements and etc to help those in need.  Over the years there have been several fund raisers for the injured and ones that were ill.  Food, clothing, appliances, fuel and other living expenses were supplied by ones who could and for those who couldn’t found other ways to help.   I hope that this is one thing that does not change.

During this time I have worked with five Mayors, numerous Council members, two clerks, seven Public Works operators, several part time help and volunteers.  I thank all who have dedicated their time away from their homes and families to be involved in some way with the Town.

I have so many good memories!  I enjoyed the past Friday trivia questions, trying to chase away the long winter blues.  The practical jokes, (making that big wind up key for Clint’s old beat up Subaru took some time and thought).  Suzi’s jokes, Friday cookies at the banks, Debbie’s brownies; and then there were the few who supplied the ….maple bars!!

I have gained a whole lot of friends along the way and lost a few as well.  Many of the frequent visits with some of the citizens have been so endearing.  Thank you all who have given me the various pigs that have grown into quite a herd.  I’ve enjoyed supplying coins to the kids who like to feed the piggy bank that oinks.  Their smiles have been well worth it. Chasing a few kids with the pig clamper has been fun too.

I want to give a big THANK YOU to John and Brenda for all of their help and support.  They never lacked on sense of humor either.

I appreciate John putting work challenges in perspective with his analogies. Some were rather interesting yet they made the picture clearer.  I felt that he bridged gaps and helped shed a different light and atmosphere in places where it was needed.  He did that without even knowing.

And then there’s Brenda!  There are so many memories!  Too many to mention!   The laughs!  The smiles!  Her smile could light up a room.  I think back over the years and remember the fun we’ve had.  The practical jokes we played on people. Some were priceless!  We baby sat kids, dogs, and cats.  For some reason I will never forget chasing the two goats in the street, out in front of the office and then leading them into the dog pen.  We were helping the Sheriff Deputy that I’m not sure if he had ever seen a goat before.

Her pumpkin bars and cookies were the best!  I’ve always enjoyed the show & tell times when we brought something in to show that we worked so hard on.

The yard sale finds, the little gifts, pictures of families - have all been treasured.

Thinking back at the mountains and hills we have climbed; the waves we rode together.  Through it all I believe we became stronger in many ways.

Why were we picked to have health issues?  We will never know the answer, yet we were and we might as well keep making the best of it!  As I had read recently – Life isn’t how you weather the storm.  It’s how you learn to dance in the rain.    There is a lot of truth to that.

It’s not like I’m going far away.  You’ll see me now and then; whether you like it or not!!  When you don’t see me, I’ll be at home – learning a few more dance steps!!

Enjoy life!!

Darlene

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Editor's note ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Celebrate Darlene LaShaw's retirement as Clerk of the Town of Rockford. Town Hall, March 22, 2013, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Darlene served the town for eighteen years. Her knowledge about town business will be missed as much as her cheerfulness, and willingness to be helpful to everone she encounters. The office will also change immeasureably without her marvelous collection of "Piggies" that has delighted visitors, customers and children alike.

Letters-to-The Editor - Rockford Area Museum and Historical Society

Rockford Area Museum and Historical Society

P. O. Box 107

Rockford, WA 99030

January, 2013

Dear Members and Friends,

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. We want to update you on what we accomplished in 2012 and what we plan to accomplish in 2013.

The Pioneer Museum was open on Fridays and Sundays during this past summer. All three museums were open during the Fair and we had a wonderful number of visitors at both the Pioneer and Farm locations.

We were awarded a $2500 grant from the Spokane Preservation Advocates Heritage Fund to help with the cost of the roof replacement.

In June, thanks to your generous donations and support and the grant money, we were able to hire a contractor to remove the roof on the Pioneer Museum, make repairs and apply a new roof. The drainage around the building was improved by installing a dry well in the back of the building and drain pipe to pull the water from the north side of the building and the down spouts to a central area. It looks great and we don’t have any more leaking in the upstairs. It has also helped decrease the humidity level in the building.

Just before the Fair, we discovered that the plumbing under the building was in need of replacement and were able to get it replaced. This will also help decrease the humidity problem that we have been having the past three years.

The projects that we will target for 2013 are to (1) install vents that allow air to circulate beneath the Pioneer building, (2) repair or replace the damaged siding on the lower front of the Pioneer Museum, and (3) add exterior signage to the Pioneer Museum along the side walk to help people identify the building easier. We will continue to work on rearranging the office at the Military Museum and discuss signage changes to highlight that it is a Military Museum.

There were 21 people and/or organizations that donated item/s to the Society during 2012.

In October, several of our members took a trip to Pomeroy and visited their Farm Museum, the Flour Mill and the downtown museum. Everyone enjoyed the day. We are hoping to visit another site in 2013.

If you haven’t sent in your dues for this next year, they are still the same $10 each, $15 per couple. We are also selling the 2013 calendars for $10.00 with an extra $3.00 if you have it mailed to you. Contact Donna Davey at P.O. Box 107, Rockford, WA 99030. All contributions are tax deductible.

We thank everyone for your support of the Historical Society and the three museums. Our membership dues contribute tremendously toward keeping our doors open. Only through your generosity can we continue to provide information and the opportunity for people to learn about and enjoy the history of Rockford and the surrounding area.

Sincerely,

Betty Meyer, President

Lost footsteps of friends, neighbors and members

Danny Sullivan	Hughena House	James Ramsey
Doug Pratt	Marjorie Pettibone	Alvin Wayne Fricke
Glen Rudolph	Conrad Burner	Marvin McNeilly
Brad Marlow	Dorothy Headman	Frances E. Hurd
Kevin Wren O’Connell