OUR CORNER: Saying goodbye doesn't come easy

It’s time. Without going into the hows and whys, I tendered my resignation at The Courier-Herald Feb. 1 and my last day is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 20.

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9:54 AM February 15, 2012 1

WALLY'S WORLD: Hoping cafe is a rousing success

When I was a little kid the long, narrow building beside Suburban Soul and across Cole Street from the senior center used to be a garage and Goodrich tire shop that my uncle, Joe Semanski, owned and managed. I’ve discussed this business in previous columns and have no desire to describe it again. Suffice to say, it was the noisiest place I’d ever been in and the loud clang of sledgehammers against iron wheels actually hurt my young ears and may have caused nerve damage – a condition that, years later, was further aggravated by several rock concerts. (At this stage of my life, it’s a wonder I’m not stone deaf.) But mostly there was the irritating odor of burnt rubber. Indeed, that terrible smell is permanently etched into the deeper recesses of my reptilian mind.

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9:54 AM February 15, 2012 0

WALLY'S WORLD: Stehr legacy is alive and well at the Lee

The first time I met Les Stehr I thought he was a rather grumpy fellow and, at least on a superficial level, my first impressions were correct. (But, as bartender Tamara Dedmon points out, most of his gruffness was just show.)

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updated 2:22 PM February 7, 2012 0

OLYMPIA REPORT: Schools must be No. 1 priority

Our state constitution is clear: Education is the “paramount duty” of the state. The recent state Supreme Court decision in McCleary vs. State of Washington reaffirmed what many of us already knew to be the case – K-12 basic education is not being amply provided for in the state budget. The solution to this is to fund education first.

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updated 2:16 PM February 7, 2012 0

OUR CORNER: Tough times shape our level of coverage

In the 16 months I’ve had the pleasure of being your community newspaper publisher, I’ve become close with readers in all four of the cities we serve: Enumclaw, Bonney Lake, Buckley and Sumner. I’ve spent an extra bit of time with the folks down in Sumner, our newest market among the four.

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updated 2:12 PM February 7, 2012 0

WALLY'S WORLD: Blanusa among the ‘Greatest Generation’

World War II was the most awesome and heinous event in the whole of human history. Though it lasted only six years, the carnage slaughtered 50 to 60 million people, 20 million in Russia alone. It created and nursed atrocities so hideous it’s difficult to believe human beings were actually reduced to such vile depths.

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updated 1:07 PM January 31, 2012 0

OLYMPIA REPORT: Voters won’t go for tax hike

Last week the governor did the right thing in declaring a state of emergency in western Washington. An unprecedented ice storm provided more than a home preparedness dry run.

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updated 12:56 PM January 31, 2012 0

OUR CORNER: Favorite recipes will feed school effort

I’m trying to decide between meatloaf or sausage-scallop linguine, chocolate chip cookies or zucchini bread. Or, let’s see, there’s red velvet cake, hot wings, fried rice, stuffed peppers and of course, Jim’s New York cheesecake.

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12:54 PM January 31, 2012 0

WALLY'S WORLD: Funny how plans can suddenly fall apart

Once upon a time, I had a cute, 2003 Pontiac Sunfire that was a fun little car that hauled me back and forth across America a couple of times and recently turned over 93,000 miles. (As you may have guessed, “had” is the critical word here.)

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3:17 PM January 25, 2012 0

Local alternative programs have evolved through the years

Alternative educational programs are changing in Washington state. No longer just for teen parents or kids with substance abuse or behavioral issues, a wide variety of options are available for any student or family that doesn’t fit the “traditional” or “mainstream” school model.

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updated 11:14 AM January 17, 2012 0

WALLY'S WORLD: Latest in the Morris clan knows his lumber

Last week I offered a capsule review of three generations of the Morris family in Black Diamond. The patriarch, Jack Morris, beget Evan Morris who, along with his other business enterprises, founded TRM Lumber with his nephew in 1969. Today, TRM is owned and operated by Evan’s son, John Morris.

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updated 11:01 AM January 17, 2012 0