All right regular viewers, I said I was going to change things up here and have sort of found the balance I was talking about last week.
It was hard, but I kept the editorial focus out of things as much as possible and still on track for the one editorial every Sunday. Again, Im not a news reporter, Im an editorial writer playing news reporter for the most part here.
I know there have been too many posts this week and don’t want to clog the inbox of those that subscribe. I wanted to start populating the site again, it will settle down next week. Thank you for the letters some of you old viewers here sent in, it was nice to see your names again.
I tend to use this space on Fridays to put in the little bits and pieces that come up over the week that just aren’t big enough for a regular post, sort of a catch all. If you send something in you want me to get out….this is where it ends up. See the Contact page for how to send things in. Its a good place to talk to you all more informally as well.
ABERDEEN CIRCUS: One of the biggest questions I have been getting all week is everyone wanting me to do someone on the Jerry Springer Show that is the Aberdeen City Council.
Not a chance buckos. What a crap show down there, You got the mayor opining that President Trump lived through the assassination, city council members resigning…....FROM INSIDE THE JAIL NO LESS!.…..and OMG you should see my inbox. Even I don’t believe what I am seeing. I am pretty numb to stupid crap, Ive been covering Monte politics after all. I thought we held the title as most clown show here and there….but Aberdeen……you did it. You are head and shoulders above all of us. There just isn’t any competing with those guys. They will literally elect anyone in that city. They deserve what they get. Golf Clap!
YARD SALE: I did do a post this week on the upcoming City Wide Yard sale. It is a huge event here in town and want to call attention to it again. A really fun day and article is up. Even I am putting a table out. Old friends and new of the site, do stop by and say hi. And buy something.
COMING UP: There are several things on the burner as I get back into the swing of things. One of them is a look at Montesano Fine Dining. Now you all know that Montesano is known throughout the county as the artistic and gourmand center of culture. Join with Montesano Today as we talk about the gastronomic white glove service delights available only in the fine dining capital of Grays Harbor…..Montesano.
Second is something I have been wanting to bring to your attention for a while now, but have been doing some research. It involves salmon runs and spawning here in town. Ya, we have a salmon breeding ground here now. More to come next week with an extensive article that I think you will enjoy.
I also want to talk a little bit about our road construction project that just finished up. At least I think it’s finished. Is it ever?
ENTERTAINMENT: I mentioned that I do a lot of gaming on Playstation. Hey, Im retired I can do what I want. Don’t judge me.
Received a letter from another old guy that plays and wanted to put it out there if any of us older guys want to get together. I don’t do the Xbox but will put up a notice for them if they want.
I don’t do the 1st person shooter ones like COD, the 12 year olds just eat me for lunch with their reflexes, I like PVP things in Elden Ring, Dayz type of ones.
CITY POLITICS: I’m going to venture into the belly of the beast and start covering the council meetings again. I mean, I almost have to doing this thing again.
Everyone knows I don’t like walking in there. I have made no secret of it. Over the years, I have been lied to, had emails destroyed, shunned, officially rebuked in writing, threatened, followed, fielded cease and desist orders……you name it. From city and county officials and employees no less. All because I asked questions.
The city services run like a Swiss watch around here, the Police Department top notch. I don’t use the Fire Department, but assume they are good too. The problem is with the chamber, our elected local Council of Elrond.. It always is, and isn’t unique to Montesano. It’s the nature of the beast. Small towns are the worse. Just a step up from your average HOA board.
Well meaning people get the community service bug, get up there and wham….the sharks start hitting them. “here, take this campaign money…..just vote to move this zoning for me”. “Here, you can get invited to the cool parties, just vote for this.” One thing I have found out over the years is good people will abandon all their core belief, just to dip their stick in the right fondu pot and feel important. There is a human nature thing there.
I honestly think all the problems we have had here boil down to people wanting to sit at the cool table and get a place card setting at the “right” wine and cheese party. Mostly the new arrivals wanting to play small town. Town people don’t give too damms about what you wear or drive and avoid those snooty things at all cost.
People actually think there is a Montesano High Society. What a joke.
These guys are slick too, a newly appointed guy or gal up there needs to be on their toes. All in all, it’s not a bad bunch currently. I don’t expect much of the sketchy crap we went through not that long ago. It’s that bad covering this stuff. And…..the reason I live by the motto…...Never fall in love with a politician, they will only break your heart. I try and be courteous, but I keep all of them at arms length and stay away from their little fondu pots.
It’s so bad, I had a secret meeting with the Police Chief in a parking lot once about information that drugs were about to be planted in my car. I gave the Chief permission to pull me over at any time for any reason and search me. He was welcome in my home at any time for any reason, just to take away the ability to plant something. I remember having a big talk about this with one of my editors down at the Vidette as he was under attack as well. It’s that bad, not always, but sometimes. If you start asking the wrong questions.
Here is a little story for you. Not all that long ago I had a private investigator following me around to see if they could find out how I was getting some information I shouldn’t have been getting here locally and was embarrassing to local officials. No doubt in my mind that’s what it was about. I even had to inform the local police about it, as at first I thought it might just be a crazy local guy mad about something.
About two months later I was in a couple of private investigation agencies offices in Olympia and Tacoma on a story I was working about Olympia political campaigns vetting opponents for comment, and there in a chair in the lobby was the guy who was following me around here in Montesano eating a cheeseburger and didn’t know I knew he was following me. Hey, I have a fortress of home security and you can’t get within a hundred yards of my place and not be on a couple of cameras.
I thought quick on my feet and walked up to him and he thought I was there to do a story about him investigating reporters and started peppering loudly with questions about what official had hired him. Was he paid with official funds? Who else was he following? You have never seen someone run into a backroom so fast. “Names,” I was shouting. “I need names and invoices!” shouting into the back room. I stood in the parking lot taking pictures and started pretending I was live streaming. They came out and told me to leave or they would call the cops.
I haven’t seen one since.
OK A LITTLE MORE then I will stop because I’m cracking up a bit going down some of the memory lane absurdity here myself.
The following went on for about three days. It’s fairly expensive to hire someone like that and I wanted to keep them following me as long as possible to run the bill up as high as I could.
One day he was parked all stealth like on Wynoochee Ave behind a big pile of brush and I snuck out into the driveway and climbed into the back seat and hid down on the seat and had the wife drive out of the driveway and slowly up past him, sticking my head up and looking around so he could see me then duck down again.
Sure enough……shamus was on me! I had her drive down to Fleet Park and I acted all suspicious and went up to the bench under the over hang little stage area. I wasn’t all Pink Panther like or anything, just enough to sell it. I made sure to do it slowly enough so he had time to position himself for pictures by the Post Office. I assume he was taking pictures of what I was up to, after all, you have to justify the billing.
THE DEAD DROP – I took out one of those fat woodworking pencils that make a big mark I brought, looked around like I was making sure no one was watching and made an X on the bench. I then got down and pretended I was reaching for something taped to the underside and pulled out a big yellow envelope I had stuffed in my shirt.
I made sure I stood there holding the secret stash long enough to have a good picture taken. The thought that there is someone somewhere with an 8×10 photo of me holding an envelope by a bench…..that they paid dearly for…..somehow pleases me.
How often do you suppose people were checking under that bench and for how long do you suppose? For the longest time I would put an X on the bench. Rub it off etc.
It is absolutely absurd I know. Again, you should hear the stuff I don’t tell you about. You wonder what the life of someone is like covering City and County politics. This is it. Right here.
It is the reason that no one in this town has ever seen me drink anything, smoke anything, drive over the speed limit, or be in a place I shouldn’t be in. It is a price you pay for doing stuff like this. It’s that bad. If you start asking the wrong questions that is.
I hate turning over rocks around here with a passion. There is always something there. Always.
I can put some more stuff here, but I want to keep it a little light this week. Besides that, I’m swimming in antibiotics trying to get an infected tooth under control and I don’t feel like it. I just want to hug my pillow on the couch and play with the new kitten. Thank you Broadway Dental for getting me in right away. Great place.
Montesano Today 