Saturday Thumbs
Saturday, July 19, 2008 12:56 AM PDT
Printable version
E-mail this articleJuly 19 Daily News editorial
Taking care of the people
(Thumbs up) Thumbs up to Kelso Police Chief Wayne Nelson, who this week announced his intention to take a well-deserved retirement next spring. Nelson will have protected and served the citizens of Kelso for three and half decades when he steps down on May 31, 2009. He joined the Kelso Police Department in 1974 and was named chief in 2002.
Nelson explained to Daily News reporter Amy M.E. Fischer that he decided to announce his retirement early so the city would have plenty of time to choose a replacement and he could be there to help with the transition. “I’m just trying to take care of my people as best I can,” the chief told Fischer. Just as he helped his fellow officers take care of the people of Kelso for so many years.
Clueless at Spanaway Lake?
(Thumbs down) Apparently, a number of swimmers at Pierce County’s Spanaway Lake are having a tough time figuring out just what the honor system requires. Loaner life jackets at the lake have been disappearing just about as fast as Central Pierce Fire and Rescue can replace them, according to The Associated Press. The fire district made 20 life jackets available for swimmers on June 27. Four days later only two were left. The fire district bought 20 more life jackets and put them at the lake on July 8. Six days later only five remained.
Other such loaner programs at parks in Pierce County haven’t had this kind of problem. Neither has a life-jacket loaner program at Cowlitz County’s Willow Grove Park. What gives at Spanaway, Wash.? Are the people walking off with jackets light-fingered or just clueless? Probably a little of both.
A can-do spirit
(Thumbs up) Organizing a charity golf tournament is not something many people would undertake single-handedly. It’s certainly not something many high school students would set out to do. So we’re doubly impressed by what Cameron Ford pulled off. The 17-year-old Mark Morris senior recently put together a charity golf tournament at the Longview Country Club that collected $12,000 for the Youth and Family Link’s new gymnasium on Douglas Street.
Ford got the country club, PeaceHealth, Longview contractor JH Kelly and others in the community all working to make the charity event a success, according to Daily News reporter Cheryll A. Borgaard. Borgaard reports that Ford hopes to make this an annual event.
Heads up, deciders
(Thumbs up) Thumbs up to all those prospective Cowlitz County deciders who already have registered to vote in the Aug. 19 primary. And thumbs up to those unregistered procrastinators who we trust will somehow manage to beat the registration deadlines for the primary. They should know that the first deadline — the one for registering by mail or e-mail — is upon them. They’ve got to get it done today. Today also is the deadline for registered voters to transfer their registration information if they’ve moved to a new address within the state.
The second and absolute final day to register to vote in the primary is Aug. 4. That’s the last day to register in person, at the Cowlitz County Administration Building in Kelso. Don’t wait for that one.
Past Month's Most Commented Stories