"City still trying to solve parking problem"

At last Saturday's GOP caucus, one of our elected officials told me that his wife had found a news story published back in the Fifties in the Pullman Herald. It was about downtown parking. He said it could have been written today. It was a problem then and it's a problem now. There is no easy solution. Geography has dictated that downtown will never be able to have a lot of retail or a lot of housing.

From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Round-table discussion brings stakeholders together to share ideas, potential solutions

The Pullman Planning Commission mixed things up Wednesday, opting for a round-table discussion to fuel solutions to the city's downtown parking issue.

Stakeholders in the downtown area - including business owners, residents and developers - led the conversation, which was designed to create more open dialogue than has been possible at the commission's testimony-based public meetings in the past.

"I think we've all found out we're on the same team and want something good for Pullman," Commission Chairman Stephen Garl said. "Where it all shakes out, I can't say."

The City Council set a March deadline for the commission to recommend formal solutions to the parking issue. The council voiced a desire for more definitive ideas after it was presented in December with broad short-term suggestions such as better identification of public parking areas, the possibility of a downtown residential parking permit program, and increased enforcement to discourage long-term parking.

The downtown area - bordered roughly by State Street to the west, Spring Street to the east, Whitman Street to the north and McKenzie Street to the south - is in the city's central business zone.

Parking currently is not mandated with downtown development, even if it includes living space - an issue some have said creates competition for spots between downtown retail customers and residents.

Wednesday's meeting yielded solutions ranging from increased parking enforcement by police to asking the public for money to create a long-term parking structure. The group also discussed how to better utilize a Washington State University parking lot near Reaney Park, decreasing the central business zone and extending two-hour parking limits to three hours.

City Planner Pete Dickinson said the committee may have rehashed some of the same ideas, but the meeting garnered more of a consensus and a desire to remedy the parking issue with a long-term plan before it escalates.

"It shows that all are in understanding," he said. "It was good to get them all in the same room."

Dickinson said the commission is free to suggest any solutions it sees fit, but he urged members to address one issue in particular. In past meetings, the commission has debated altering city code to mandate new residential development in the district provide off-street parking.

Such a move would ensure that residents living in the downtown area have some off-street parking for their vehicles.

The City Council also has discussed the issue at length, and Dickinson said the commission should formally give its opinion regarding a possible code change.

"That's something ... I will insist upon. That's been the elephant in the room," Dickinson said. "It'll be a yes or no, but it'll have to be explained."

The commission is expected to revisit the issue Feb. 27. Garl said commission members and the public are encouraged to take the next several weeks to let the issues digest, and then bring solutions to the table. The group will then reconvene and begin to discuss feasible solutions.

"The solution will be a multi-set of suggestions to be considered," he said. "There is no silver bullet."

"Newest City Council member ready to get rolling; Wright says her community involvement over the years will come in handy"

I like Pat's attitude. I think she'll fit right in on the council.

From yesterday's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Pat Wright moved to Pullman site unseen.

She moved to town from California in 1975 when her husband, Ray, accepted a job at the Washington State University Department of Animal Sciences. The couple arrived on the Palouse in the sleepy days of late summer - just after harvest and shortly before the university opened for fall classes.

"I just wasn't prepared," said Wright, 60. "We'd go in a restaurant and we were the only ones there."

Wright said Pullman was supposed to be a temporary home for the couple, but community involvement and the birth of their two children kept them in town.

"It was only going to be a few years ... but here we still are," she said. "We just made the conscious decision to stay."

Her time and commitment to Pullman paid off Tuesday, when Wright was appointed to the Pullman City Council Ward 3 position. Her list of community service and business accomplishments was impressive to the council, which chose her to join the bench from a list of candidates that included Terence Day and Dave Gibney.

The Ward 3 seat came open when it was determined that Devon Felsted, elected to the seat in November, would have to step down due to a conflict of interest. David Stiller, who was voted into the position in 2003, did not seek re-election.

Since her arrival in Pullman, Wright has worked at General Telephone and Electronics handling student accounts and most recently was the manager of The Bookie - a position she retired from last year. She now works as a campus relations consultant for Barnes and Noble, which allows her more time for community involvement on the Pullman Chamber of Commerce and Pullman Education Foundation boards. She also is active in the Pullman Civil Service Commission and the Pullman Regional Hospital Auxiliary.

Wright joked that her long résumé is a testament to her inability to say no, but added her roles in local business and service groups have prepared her for the council position.

"Little bits and pieces of the jobs I've done have given me a look at the big picture," she said.

Wright said she applied for the City Council position with an open mind and no agenda, but is a proponent for planned growth and a continued partnership with WSU.

She said the city is playing catch-up for missed business opportunities in the 1970s and 1980s that "ended up going to Moscow."

"Since then, we've tried to equalize that with projects like Bishop Boulevard," she said. "Any time we have a chance to keep that revenue here, I think we should capitalize on that."

Wright said planned growth includes ensuring available amenities to create a livable community.

"We need to make it a community that's livable for everyone," she said. "Livability is shopping. Livability is good schools. Livability is good health care.

"We need to continue to make it a destination rather than a place people come to four for years and then leave."

WSU also benefits from increased livability, Wright said, "because the more amenities, the easier it is to recruit students here."

Wright said a strong partnership between the city and university is essential to the health of the community.

"Can you say Pullman and not think of WSU?" she asked. "As much as we don't like to say it, Pullman is WSU and WSU is Pullman. We have to make sure Pullman and WSU are working together for what they both need."

For now, Wright said she's going to ease into her new position. After all, it will take some time to read up on city policy and current hot topics.

"I want to take my time to learn what the issues are," she said. "Probably the scariest part is going to be the accelerated learning curve to get into it."

In her down time, Wright said she enjoys traveling with Ray, to whom she's been married for 37 years. In previous years, they have visited New York City and Bermuda, among other places, and they are scheduled for an adventure in Tahiti in May.

She's also a fan of football and her two springer spaniels.

"Wright tabbed to fill vacant Ward 3 seat; New City Council member selected, sworn in during Tuesday night's meeting"

I don't know Pat personally, but former Pullman City Councilman Al Sorensen gave Pat a strong recommendation, which is good enough for me.

From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Pat Wright's resume apparently was too good to pass up.

Wright, 60, was appointed to the Pullman City Council as the representative for the vacant Ward 3 position Tuesday following a unanimous vote by council members.

Councilman Barney Waldrop said Wright's record of public service in Pullman and her commitment to the community made her an obvious choice.

"She's touched a lot of bases in the community that are important," he said.

Wright was chosen from a pool of candidates that also included Dave Gibney and Terence Day. The Ward 3 seat came open when it was determined that Devon Felsted, elected to the seat in November, would have to step down due to a conflict of interest. David Stiller, who was voted into the position in 2003, did not seek re-election.

All candidates applied for the vacant seat by submitting a resume and answers to questions regarding their community involvement and background.

The three candidates were interviewed separately by the council Tuesday following a three-minute opening statement. Each council member asked the candidates a prepared question, some of which included their vision of Pullman in the future and what issues they believe to be hot topics in Pullman.

Each applicant was then given one minute to make a closing statement.

Wright briefly described the important relationship between Pullman and Washington State University, her desire to make public safety a top priority and her support for city growth.

"I feel I can be a good liaison for the different constituents we serve," she said, adding that she plans to listen to the concerns and desires of the public "so we're going in the direction our residents want us to go."

The council made its decision following a 15-minute executive session to discuss the candidates. Wright was then given the oath of office and asked to join the council on the bench for the closing of the meeting.

Councilman Bill Paul said the group had to "do some soul searching" when choosing one person from the three qualified candidates. In the end, he said Wright was the most qualified for the job.

"She's done such a wide range of work in the community," he said. "We look forward to working with her."

Wright has been a Pullman resident since 1975 and works as a campus relations consultant for Barnes and Noble. She recently retired as general manager of The Bookie at WSU.

Wright sits on the boards of the Pullman Chamber of Commerce and Pullman Education Foundation. She also is active in the Pullman Civil Service Commission and the Pullman Regional Hospital Auxiliary.

Wright said she was nervous with the rapid-fire questions by the council during the interview, but feels a sense of relief and is excited for the challenge of her new position.

"I'm excited. I'm just delighted to work with this group," she said. "I just feel like I can make a contribution."

Life in Hell, Part Two

14 inches of snow since last night on my previously freshly shoveled driveway...


...plus the foot we already had on the ground adds up to a whopping 26 inches of the white stuff.


My house on Paradise (soon to be renamed Glacier) Ridge.


Digging out Dr. Forbes. Nice of the WSU administration to wait until 10 AM to close. Needless to say, the Blizzard of 2008 has shut everything down in Pullman, including for the first time in many years, WSU and the Pullman School District. And the snow is still falling, with more on the way....


GLOBAL WARMING CAUSES EXTINCTION OF WAL-MART CHRISTMAS DEER!!!!!! Those greedy corporate bastards....

That's Old Man Winter, SIR, Maggot!

A cornice on Liberty Ridge, Mount Rainier? Nah. The rock wall beside my house.


Street scene today in Pullman. For you West Side readers, while virtually every school in Eastern Washington was closed yesterday, Pullman schools were on time. We're saving our snow day for the planet killer asteroid strike.


The Himalayas? Nope. It's a vacant lot where all this winter's accumulated snow has been dumped after being plowed from the Port of Whitman County Industrial Park parking lots. I figure it should all be gone by June.

"Gibney, Wright apply for City Council seat"

In the fine Stalinist "progressive" tradition of upholding the First Amendment we have seen demostrated previously by David Leonard and Alex McDonald, Dave Gibney's friend, uber-nutroots Noemie Maxwell, had Blogger remove the picture of Dave at the Northwest Progressive Conference I had posted. Democrats like Peter Goldmark will never get elected in Eastern Washington as long as they are supported by snooty, intolerant, condescending, anti-Christian West Side moonbats like Maxwell. She wouldn't know anything about a "farmer's protest" if it jumped up and bit her in the ass.

You can still view it here. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Why are liberals so camera shy?

Here's some info that wasn't included in the article below.

Dave Gibney is a former state committeeman and current Precinct Committee Officer for the Whitman County Democrats. He is also a prolific commenter on various liberal Washington blogs, such as Washblog, where he left the following comment:

I know the Young Democrats of WSU were also part if this effort, but since they are particularly politically savvy, they kept their participation in the background. The young R's here are sorta distruptive.

From Friday's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Dave Gibney and Patricia A. Wright recently submitted their applications for the vacant Pullman City Council Ward 3 position.

Gibney is a systems programmer at Washington State University. He first came to Pullman as a WSU student and has remained here since 1981. He serves as treasurer of the Friends of Gladish Board of Directors.

Wright has been a Pullman resident since 1975 and recently retired as general manager of The Bookie at WSU. She sits on the boards of the Pullman Chamber of Commerce and Pullman Education Foundation. She also is active in the Pullman Civil Service Commission and the Pullman Regional Hospital Auxiliary.

The council will interview candidates and choose a new member at its Feb. 5 meeting. The selected individual will take the oath of office the same evening.

The Ward 3 seat came open when it was determined that recently elected Devon Felsted would have to step down due to a conflict of interest. David Stiller, who was voted into the position in 2003, did not seek re-election.

Terence L. Day of Pullman also has applied for the Ward 3 seat.

The Ward 3 application period will close at 5 p.m. Thursday. Applicants must be registered voters over the age of 18, a Pullman resident for one year prior to appointment and reside in Ward 3, which encompasses Pioneer Hill and portions of College Hill. Interested individuals should submit a letter of application and answer a set of standard questions. Copies of those questions are available in the mayor's office in Pullman City Hall.

"Day applies for vacant Ward 3 seat on City Council"

I caught wind of this possibility a few months ago. Terry would be an OUTSTANDING city council member. I'm very grateful he threw his hat into the ring.From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Terence L. Day has submitted his application to become a member of the Pullman City Council.

Day, a Pullman resident since 1972, filed his application for the vacant Ward 3 seat Friday.

He is a retired Washington State University faculty member who now works as a freelance writer and photographer.

The Ward 3 seat came open when it was determined that Devon Felsted would have to step down due to a conflict of interest.

The Ward 3 application period will close at 5 p.m. Jan. 31. Applicants must be registered voters over the age of 18, a Pullman resident for one year prior to appointment and reside in Ward 3, which encompasses Pioneer Hill and portions of College Hill. Interested individuals should submit a letter of application and answer a set of standard questions.

Copies of those questions are available in the mayor's office in Pullman City Hall.

"Weller still getting acclimated to new role; Newest Pullman City Council member trying to learn as he goes"

Lots of great local political stories in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News today. We'll start with Palousitics contributor, City Councilman Nathan Weller:

Nathan Weller counseled himself to stay quiet during his first Pullman City Council meeting.

Weller, who defeated Al Sorensen in the November election, said his intent was to be silent and observe at the Jan. 8 meeting.

"Of course, the first day it's a little tough to jump right in and swim with the big fish," he said. "It was about letting it sink in. I felt it was necessary to listen more than it was to talk."

Weller doesn't intend to stay quiet for long. He said he has opinions on subjects such as development along the Pullman-Moscow Highway, and the city's proposed business license and rental property registration programs.

"There's plenty of time," he said. "When the issues come up, of course I'm going to put in my feelings."

Former councilman David Stiller - who did not seek re-election in November - said newcomers to the council should not be reluctant to speak up about important issues and create "more fire in the belly of (council) members."

"That's what the council is for, to question and probe," Stiller said. "If I had to do it over again ... I think I would have been respectful, but more aggressive."

The council also expects another newcomer, as the Ward 3 position temporarily held by Devon Felsted will be filled during the first few weeks of February.

Weller said he's not afraid of having a differing opinion than other members of the council.

"When you're a part of a group - a partnership - there's going to be disagreements. It's just the name of the game," he said. "However, disagreements never need to be disagreeable. We can discuss things, even if we don't see eye to eye. We can still come in the next day and say, 'I don't agree with you, but at least we had an agreeable conversation about it.' "

Still, Weller doesn't want to get ahead of himself. For now, he said he'll focus on acclimating to his new role. He attended an Association of Washington Cities-sponsored conference in Spokane on Saturday that served to create leadership, provide an avenue to network and increase communication skills for recently elected council members throughout the area.

"It was valuable, valuable information," he said. "When you run for election, you're running as an individual. On the City Council, you're running as a team."

Councilman Barney Waldrop said new council members shouldn't take on too much too fast.

"The first few weeks on the council are entirely a learning experience," he said. "They shouldn't be afraid to draw on the skill and wide experience of city staff and other council members. A lot of the people there have already walked the trails before."

Weller admits there will be a period of adjustment. He'll eventually learn the ins and outs of state and local codes, and the cameras that televise City Council meetings will take some getting used.

"You're under a lot of scrutiny," he said of his position on the council. "You're very aware that people are listening to you. That's different. I've never been in that position."

Weller, a 2005 Washington State University graduate, said he's already referenced his time management skills and study habits formed in college to conquer the packet of background information provided to council members before their Tuesday meetings.

"But it's more than homework. With this, it's about the livelihood of the people in Pullman," he said. "I feel passionately about this. Some people may think that's weird, but I care very much about the city."

"Newest councilman aims to expand diversity and reduce housing costs"

After shockingly and shamefully ignoring last fall's Pullman City Council elections until after they were over, the Daily Evergreen seems to be trying to make up for its recent lack of local political coverage. From today's Evergreen:

From Nathan Weller’s perspective, there is a barrier between the students of WSU and the Pullman community.

The students may make up the majority of the city’s population, work at the coffee bars and shop at the local businesses, but many of them have little involvement with the city’s politics, Weller said. And it’s not from a lack of desire.

“They want to be involved,” he said. “I want there to be a plethora of ways to reach out to the students.” Weller, 26, is the newest member of the Pullman City Council, sworn in on Dec. 26. Having been a resident of Pullman his entire life – and a 2005 WSU graduate with a bachelor’s in psychology – Weller is familiar with the local issues, even if he is by far the youngest of the council members. “I’m a longtime resident,” he said. “For me, a lot of the issues of the council are close to home, as well as the problems for WSU. It’s important for me to serve to help bridge that gap.” Weller said students are burdened by a “phenomenal” number of ordinances. For the current debate regarding whether Pullman should implement a mandatory rental inspections program, Weller is for keeping the program voluntary, to keep the students’ costs down.

“I think instead of legislating and creating an ordinance for everything, it’s better to talk one-on-one,” Weller said.

Weller, who said he has lived in multiple poorly maintained houses and apartments, links the problem to a lack of education. When he was a student, he said he had little knowledge of landlord and tenant rights.

“I think the city council has a piece in the education process,” he said. Mayor Glenn Johnson said the council has a very close relationship with ASWSU – as evident by their two joint meetings this year and constant involvement with the student body president. Johnson also said he receives plenty of feedback through the classes he teaches in the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication. Weller thinks more one-on-one methods are necessary. One of his ideas is to move some of the town’s public forums onto campus.

“When I was a student, I know it was tough for me to come [into town],” Weller said. “Basically, your life is studies.” Also important to Weller is expanding the diversity of Pullman’s economy and reducing housing costs.

“The housing costs are still pretty astronomical,” he said. “Not compared to Seattle, but to other small towns.” Weller won the election in a close race against incumbent Al Sorenson. He said he received many of his ideas from knocking on doors in Ward 2 – which consists of Military Hill and Campus Commons North – when he campaigned for the election.

Along with the Pullman City Council, Weller works at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, where he is a line coordinator. He also owns a small recreational paintball business.

“It’s great to have him on the council,” Johnson said. “He’s already doing his homework and I think he is doing a good job.”

"Pullman council takes applicants for Ward 3 seat"

I'm hoping some good candidates step forward. From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

The Pullman City Council has opened an application process to fill its vacant Ward 3 seat.

The council decided at its Tuesday meeting to accept applications for the position briefly filled by Devon Felsted after the November election process. Felsted formally resigned from the position by letter Dec. 28, due to a conflict of interest.

The Ward 3 application period is officially open as of today. Applicants must be registered voters, a Pullman resident for one year prior to appointment and reside in Ward 3, which encompasses Pioneer Hill and portions of College Hill. Interested individuals should submit a letter of application and answer a set of standard questions. Copies of those questions are available in the mayor's office in Pullman City Hall.

The application period will close at 5 p.m. Jan. 31.

The council will interview candidates and choose a new member at its Feb. 5 meeting. The new Ward 3 council member will take the oath of office the same evening.

Felsted, president of Pullman Disposal, was elected to the position before it was realized he had a conflict of interest. Washington code of ethics statutes pertaining to municipal officers restrict a city from working or exchanging money with an elected official on a business level for more than $18,000 per year. The city's trash bill with Pullman Disposal is about $45,000 per year, even though the two agencies do not have a binding contract per se.

Pullman Disposal is the only licensed solid waste disposal company for the city and its outlying area. Though Felsted is not a major stockholder, his parents, Bill and Val Felsted, own the company and, in planning their estate, put stocks into a trust for their five children. This trust is considered a beneficial interest and both direct and indirect beneficial interests can be conflicts.

In other business,

The council continued its discussion regarding a potential rental property program, aimed at maintaining quality rental units throughout the city. In past meetings, the council has juggled a handful of options to ensure the safety of rental units for area tenants. The solution that has been discussed most includes instituting a mandatory rental inspection program, similar to that of a 1997 Pasco, Wash., ordinance that was held up in the court system on the grounds that it may be unconstitutional.

For now, the council has decided to abandon any mandatory inspection programs and proceed with other options, such as emphasizing the existing voluntary rental inspection program, supporting a Washington State University off-campus housing office and focusing energy on improving problem properties.

Councilman Keith Bloom said something must be done quickly, as the rental market will not correct itself.

He said as long as there are apartments they likely will be occupied - despite the conditions - especially in a college town.

Bloom said the emphasis should be on instituting a program that would identify the owners of all rental properties. He supports some kind of registration program, if only for the sake of knowing who owns what property.

"At least we know who they are," he said. "If we know who the property belongs to, we can start solving problems."

WSU Executive Director of Real Estate Operations and External Affairs Mel Taylor said the university is working to set up an off-campus housing office.

"The idea is a good one and we should do it," he said.

The council will continue to discuss the issue at a public meeting scheduled for March 4.

QUICK READ

WHAT HAPPENED: The Pullman City Council has opened the application process to fill the vacant Ward 3 council seat.

WHAT IT MEANS: Residents living in Ward 3 - which includes Pioneer Hill and a portion of College Hill - are eligible for the position. Applicants also must be more than 18 years old, a registered voter and have been a Pullman resident for one year before appointment. The application period is open until 5 p.m. Jan. 31. The applicant should submit a letter of application and answer a set of standard questions. Copies of those questions are available in the mayor's office in Pullman City Hall.


WHAT'S NEXT: The council will interview applicants during a public meeting Feb. 8. The new Ward 3 council member will be sworn in the same evening.


WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: For those who reside in Ward 3, this council position is intended to represent their best interests.

BREAKING NEWS: Hawkins expected to ask Whitman County commissioners to extend infrastructure

From the Moscow-Pullman Daily News website:

Hawkins Companies officials on Monday are expected to ask Whitman County commissioners to extend public infrastructure to the site of its proposed 700,000-square-foot shopping development on the Pullman-Moscow Highway, just west of the Idaho state line.

Commissioners will meet with Hawkins officials at 2:30 p.m. in the commissioners’ chambers in the Whitman County Courthouse. The meeting is open to the public.

Commissioner Michael Largent said Hawkins representatives likely will ask for infrastructure investments in roads, sewer and water to make its development possible.

“A lot is at stake with this development and what happens there could potentially have a large, long-term impact on the Pullman-Moscow corridor and economic growth in our community well into the future,” Largent stated in an e-mail to the Daily News.

This is a move I absolutely expected. Hawkins is two years into this deal already. According to yesterday's Whitman County Gazette, this is how the water rights appeal process breaks down:

The Pollution Control Hearings Board (PCHB) has set June 2-6 hearing dates for appeals regarding water rights issued and denied at the Hawkins Development at the Idaho stateline on the Pullman-Moscow corridor. An additional day of June 26 has also been reserved if needed.

The Department of Ecology decided to grant three water rights transfers and deny one to Hawkins Companies LLC of Boise. Hawkins has issued an appeal to PCHB for the denial, and the City of Moscow has appealed the decisions to grant the three transfers. Also in the appeal is the transfer of water rights to the town of Colton.

PCHB decided to consolidate the four appeals into one hearing. Maia Bellon, assistant Attorney General representing the DOE in the matter, explained that by consolidating the cases, the board will be able to hear all the witnesses at the same time. As some of the same witnesses will be called by different entities in the matter, this will eliminate multiple testimonies by the witness.

Recent PCHB decisions have taken from two to 15 months to be issued.

“It depends on the nature of the hearing,” she said. With the complexities of the Hawkins appeals, it will most likely take longer. If the hearing truly does take the whole week, the decision could take five to 10 months.

“My gut would be at best six months,” Bellon said.

So that's at least another YEAR just to get a decision from the PCHB, and that assumes Hawkins' appeal is successful, Moscow's appeals fail and that no court action is pursued. Even if Hawkins wins the appeal, Ecology will still have to go through the process of granting the water rights transfers again.

There is no way Hawkins is going to wait that long. We're lucky they haven't pulled the plug yet due to Moscow's meddling. It's now the moment of truth for Whitman County. Either the county steps up and provides water and sewer to the Hawkins development or Hawkins walks and Whitman County never gets another developer interested in the corridor again. Period.

Will it be expensive? Definitely. Will the payoff be worth it? Beyond question. I estimate the Hawkins development will bring in $3.3 million a year in sales taxes alone for the county. Is it fair? No, but Hawkins has bent over backwards and they are only be forced to do this because moonbat idiots Nancy Chaney and Mark Solomon have been allowed to sabotage this project.

This is also a moment of truth for the city of Pullman, which has recently expressed an interest in sales tax sharing with the county in return for providing utility services in the corridor. Now is the time for the Pullman City Council to make that move.

And something has to be done to reform our local land use processes that allows these small groups of left-wing malcontents to kill beneficial projects through baseless legal delays.

Top Stories of 2007

In years past, I have listed what I considered to be the top 10 Pullman news stories of the year. This year, in the spirit of Scotty's "Year of the People," I'm going to let you, the readers, decide.

The poll is up in the right hand margin. Cast your vote now for the top news story of 2007! I'll tally the votes and post the results in a few weeks.

Pictures From This Morning's House Fire in Pullman

More on KREM.com

"Arson Not Suspected"

The Lewiston Morning Tribune is reporting that arson is not suspected in this morning's fires. That's a relief, the timing of this morning's fires and the arson fires set on Novemember 15th are eerily similar.

Fire Alert

KQQQ is reporting two fires this morning. The first was a barn at Alpine Animal Hospital and the latest a house on Lori Court. Please take a minute to scout your house and neighborhood.

Type rest of the post here

Happy Birthday, Nathan!

Our newest city councilman and all around stand-up guy Nathan Weller turns 26 today.

"Sorensen concedes defeat during recount, Weller will assume Ward 2 City Council seat Jan. 1"

I hope Al and Nathan both continue to share with us their visions for Pullman here on Palousitics. From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Pullman City Councilman Al Sorensen conceded defeat in his bid for re-election as Whitman County election officials manually recounted ballots from the November election Wednesday in Colfax.

Sorensen called off the recount as the final ballots were being checked and shook the hand of challenger Nathan Weller, who will assume the Ward 2 seat Jan. 1.

"It was apparent and obvious that the recount wasn't going to change the outcome of the election," Sorensen said.

Weller said he still is surprised by the entire experience.

"I'm just now turning 26. I'm pretty shocked," said Weller, whose birthday is Friday. "But now I'm ready to serve the city of Pullman."

Sorensen called for the manual recount after election results were certified Nov. 27. Weller received 279 votes to Sorensen's 270.

At least a dozen observers watched two pairs of election staff members from the Whitman County auditor's office manually recount the 635 ballots from the seven precincts in Ward 2. The numbers matched during the first pair's round of recounting in four out of seven precincts. Due to the slight discrepancies, the other pair of staff members were brought in to recount the ballots from the three precincts that didn't match up in the first pair's manual recount.

Staff members were busy counting the final batch when Sorensen stood and asked them to stop.

"I ended it on my terms," he said. "I followed the rules of the system and ordered the recount for a number of reasons. My supporters told me I should, and I needed to do it just to make sure the count was done correctly."

Whitman County Elections Technician Karen Bafus said the results will remain as certified because Sorensen stopped the recount. Sorensen technically will serve until Dec. 31, although the council's last meeting of the year has been scheduled for Tuesday.

Sorensen said he doesn't plan to take the issue any further.

"I'm done," he said. "Just to see the (recount) process and go through it was a very educational thing ... It gives me much more appreciation for the auditor's office and how the democratic process works."

Sorensen, who wants to leave the council on a good note, said he will remain an active proponent for citywide street and sidewalk repairs - issues he supported as part of a $2.2 million bond in 2006. He also is open to the possibility of sitting on commissions, or "wherever I can be utilized best. This is a place that I love."

Weller said he wants to remain in communication with Sorensen, and that he would like his predecessor to provide him with some direction in his new role.

"He's very important to this community," Weller said. "If he'll let me, I think it's extremely important to keep him involved."

Al Sorensen's Statement on Election Results After Recount for Council, Ward #2, Position #1 City of Pullman

December 5, 2007

I would like to thank everyone that has supported me in this process. It has been a heck of an experience. I have found that I have many supporters in Pullman and in the surrounding communities.

I would also like to thank Mayor Glenn Johnson and the City of Pullman employees for all their help and support over the past two years. We have a great Mayor and City staff that help make Pullman a great place to live.

Thank you to all of the other current City Council members. We have a tremendous council and they continue to work hard for the City of Pullman.

In regards to the outcome of the recount, it is what it is. Nathan received more votes than I did so therefore he is the winner. The recount verifies that all is good with the counting. I needed to ask for the recount in order to be sure that the counting was accurate.

I have enjoyed my time on the Council. It has been a great experience. I plan to continue to be active in the community. My service to the City that I love so much is not done. I will continue to be active by volunteering for where ever I am needed.

Sincerely,

A1 Sorensen

With your passion for this city, Al, we all hope you continue to stay active as a citizen. Thank you for your service.

BREAKING NEWS: Al Sorensen Concedes Pullman City Council Race

From the Moscow-Pullman Daily News website:

Al Sorensen conceded defeat for the Ward 2 Pullman City Council position as Whitman County election officials recounted ballots on Wednesday.

Sorensen called off the recount as the final ballots were being counted and shook the hand of Nathan Weller.

Congratulations to both gentlemen, who are to be commended for their passion and sense of service to our community.

Fat Bottomed Profs You Make the Rockin' World Go Round

In today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Chuck "Mr. Civil Discourse" Pezeshki wrote:

Much is made of the fracture between town and gown in Pullman...Part of the reason that Pullman has a problem with separation between the community and the university is because topographically, Pullman is separate from the university.

Wrong again, Chuck. The town-gown fracture in Pullman is created when tenured WSU professors make comments like this, not by four hills:

I've pretty much lost sympathy for most of the working people on the Palouse.

I've never seen a more dysfunctional, irrational culture in a 1st World country than what's on the Palouse. Keep voting against your interests, and alienating your intellectual and real allies.

I believe that a good part of this is because most people in the region are wildly ignorant about who actually butters their bread.

The universities provide for the living, and also agricultural community support, for all of Latah and Whitman County.

Alex McGregor, president of The McGregor Company, had a few thoughts on Chuck's divisive and arrogant comments in a column in the Daily News back in December 2003:

Ag and WSU: Whitman County cornerstones

A Daily News Town Crier columnist, Chuck Pezeshki, called State Sen. Larry Sheahan "a liar" or a "dumb rube," largely because he has worked to strengthen the agricultural economy (Opinion, Nov. 19). Higher education "is our economic driver," Pezeshki said, while agriculture is "a minor player" in the county and state economy, with "poverty level" wages and "nonexistent sharecropper jobs."

Say what?

Family farms in Whitman County grow more wheat than do their counterparts in any county in the United States, and they've been doing so since 1910.

Growers in this area are leaders nationally in dry pea and lentil production.

Here's what the Washington Agricultural Statistics Service reports about their trade: Agriculture is the state's largest employer, offering jobs for 170,000 people, and it is the second largest industry after aerospace.

The $5.5 billion of raw agricultural commodities produced annually contribute, when processed, transported, and marketed, $29 billion, or 13 percent, to the Washington economy. Hardly a "minor industry."

Pezeshki claims only a small percentage of Whitman County jobs are agricultural. He ignores many whose livelihoods involve serving farm families -- those employed by grain companies, implement dealers, fertilizer firms, insurance agencies, trucking businesses, automotive dealers and so on.

As a land grant university, Washington State University employs many in its College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences whose professions are closely related to crop production. "Nonexistent" jobs? Try telling that to the more than 300 dedicated people of my family's Whitman County-based business, who have devoted their careers to serving farm families here and in nearby counties. There are many other firms whose success depends upon agriculture. "A minor player?" Get real.

The people of Whitman County agriculture have worked closely with dedicated university scientists for generations. Working together, we've made big strides forward -- yields have more than doubled, water-borne soil erosion has declined 75 percent and dust has been reduced six-fold.

Growers, and the businesses serving them, have won awards for their environmental achievements at the state, regional, and national level including recognition from the current governor for their progress in pollution prevention. As Donald Meinig puts it, in his historical study of our region: "the collaboration of scientist and farmer is now so close that one can glimpse the ideal of the future when every field is a test plot, every farm a laboratory, and every farmer a scientist."

Agriculture is a big business in terms of its regional importance but a special one, too -- no other trade is so dramatically a family enterprise, dependent upon sustained wise stewardship of natural resources, as is farming.

Let's give thanks this holiday season for our remarkable "salt of the earth" farm family neighbors and the bountiful foodstuffs they produce rather than, as my daughter Emily would put it, "dissing" them.

Working together, growers, university researchers, local business people and neighbors can achieve much in the future, as we have in the past. As Nobel Prize winning plant breeder Norman Borlaug puts it, if we allow misconceptions, not science and good judgment, to dictate the future of agriculture we as Americans will be guilty of "displaying a diminished gene frequency for common sense."

I remember personally -- as do many agricultural people -- working hard over the years urging legislators beyond the Palouse to join our local representatives in supporting funding for WSU. The building now under construction between Martin Stadium and Johnson Hall -- Plant BioSciences I -- is the first of six buildings planned as a plant science and biotechnology center, likely to be the finest such facility in the western states.

It speaks volumes about what our elected officials see as the importance of agriculture and of WSU in the days ahead. It is strong evidence the close working relationship between farm families and our land grant university -- begun at the end of the 19th century when it was called Washington Agricultural College -- is not only part of our shared heritage, but of our future, too.

I hope we can move beyond needlessly provocative rhetoric. Both agriculture and WSU are important to our economy and our future. We cannot succeed long-term without each other. All of us -- university, business, and farm families -- need to work together to keep the economy of the Palouse strong. It's a big task but, pulling together, we can do it.

Exactly. The recognition of the value of all players in the local economy will help bridge the town-gown divide in Pullman, not trams, bicycles built for four, $40 Schwinns, or stilts.