Washington needs a garden club

After hearing the news that Mary Alice Pacey will no longer be able to maintain the rose garden at the Washington City Park, I recommend the formation of a Washington Garden Club to take over the maintenance of this project. Not only could this club help maintain this unique Washington garden, it could also be proactive in promoting gardening and beautification around town. I can forsee a garden tour, a plant swap and other activities typical of this sort of club. The garden club could work alongside the WCHS FFA chapter on the rose garden project too (they've offered to help), thereby creating a valuable partnership and helping grow the next generation of gardeners.
If anyone is interested in such a concept, call me at the News office at 325-2219.

Gas station reopening?

There is a rumor, matched with some activity, that the gas station/convenience store owned by Walthers Oil at the southwest corner of the Highway 15-36 junction in Washington will be reopening soon. People have been seen cleaning windows and the interior of the store and evidently the gas tanks have been filled.
If this is true, hopefully they'll have a grand re-opening featuring $2 gas!

Stigge files for commission post

After press time today, Kathryn Stigge, Republican, of rural Washington, has filed for Washington County Commissioner-Second district. This district is basically an L-shaped district that includes the City of Washington north to the Nebraska border and then west to Mahaska.
She joins Brad Owen on the ticket. There is also another Washington individual currently carrying a petition to go on the ticket.
The deadline for filing is noon next Tuesday.

Uncontacted tribes

This has absolutely nothing to do with Washington County, but I am totally fascinated with the news stories that broke today about some photos of an uncontacted tribe near the Peru-Brazil border. I guess I figured there were tribes with very little contact with the Western world, but the story said there were still around 100 tribes in the world that have yet to have contact and 50 of them are in the Brazil and Peru.
The photo I've attached is from the organization Survival International, an organization which seeks to protect these tribes. Google this organization to see a few more fascinating pictures. It's like something out of an adventure movie.

Gambino's is open

Gambino's opened today in Washington. The new pizza, pasta and sub restaurant has experienced a few delays in getting open, but it had a really good lunch crowd today, despite its unannounced opening. I brought my family there for the pizza buffet and we all enjoyed it. I enjoy all of the restaurants in town, but as a consumer, it is always nice to have increased choices.

Downtown fiesta?

If you happen to be able to hear the music in downtown Washington right now and wonder why we are listening to Spanish-language jazz, it is because I couldn't handle listening to the other CD music anymore so I submitted one of my CDs, not realizing it was all in Spanish. The CD is Buena Vista Social Club featuring Ibrahim Firrar (I probably spelled that wrong.)
It probably isn't the ideal music for downtown atmosphere, but I just couldn't handle listening to the other CDs any more. I've heard them about a million times since they started playing and our door is open because of the nice weather so we hear it in our office very clearly.
I'm sure people walking downtown wonder who the heck is choosing this music. I apologize for my near insanity with this situation.
Anyway, the music is kind of a Chamber of Commerce project, and we are looking for new appropriate music to put on the system. If you have any ideas, let a chamber officer know. The sound system is controlled out of Duckwall's.
Until later, adios!

Reader questions multitude of vals, sals

The following post came from a blog reader who posted it under the corvette blog since there was no other place to post it. I moved it to its own post so that anyone else could comment on it if they'd like. I will leave a comment about it too. --Dan

HFH said...
I am interested in your lack of comment concerning the front page stories in the May 22nd paper about the local graduations.

In that paper we see listed 2, 3.....5 (should there be more?) valedictorians at the county schools. Perhaps it should have been dozens or, what the heck, why not just list all graduates as valedictorians.

What kind of "PC crap" is this? Would you have us believe that there was no difference in these students grades and abilities. Are they now using "pass/fail" to determine the valedictorian and salutatorian?

If the schools insist on this policy then they must logically apply the same criteria to the sports programs.

Every student in school must be allowed the same playing time as any other regardless of skill level! Every person on the football team must be allowed to play quarterback exactly the same amount of time as any other.

No competition in academics equals very low expectations in academic performance just as no competition in athletics would equal the same low expectations in athletic performance.

Wouldn't you agree DT?