Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor: The Commerce Committee of the Commercial Club of Waitsburg is excited to share a new project. The vision of the project is to silhouette each of the downtown buildings with lights. The committee members have researched lighting and found that LED rope lights are very attractive and are the most economical, using only pennies of electricity for any given building each day. Marilyn and I have received many favorable comments about the lights on the Plaza during the Christmas season. One of the most gratifying comments came from a friend who said once you cross the bridge over the Touchet, the lights on the Plaza just say welcome home. That is exactly the sentiment the Commercial Club is trying to capture. Welcome to Waitsburg. We have two different kinds of lights to consider. The Broom Building and the Plaza have a sample of each of the lights and will be on for the next couple of weeks. We would like to hear what the community, especially the downtown building owners, think. I can be reached by phone at (509) 520-9154 or e-mail at robbie@etceteras.biz. Jeff Broom can be reached at (509) 337-6688 or by e-mail at jbroom6688@charter.net.

The committee will purchase the lights in bulk and assist building owners with installation once we have a sense of which type of light is most favored. We would love to have at least half or more of the downtown buildings lit up by the Hometown Christmas 2010.

Dear Editor: John Turner has earned my trust and respect, and I believe that he is uniquely qualified to serve as our Walla Walla County Sheriff. I met John in a professional capacity in 2004 as the managing partner of a vineyard and start-up winery operation. Initially I was impressed with John's business acumen and his management skills. Over time I also appreciated John's personal integrity, honesty and loyalty. John has a real sense of fairness and understanding of ethics.

In 2008 John was recruited to serve as a U.S. Counter-Terrorism Investigator/Rule of Law Advisor in Iraq. This position required top secret security level clearance from the Department of Defense, which he still holds. In this capacity John worked with the best our country has to offer our people and the latest in law enforcement technology. John has over 21 years of solid law enforcement and legal experience. His credentials are impressive, including exten­sive law enforcement experience and training regarding gang prevention, intervention, and enforcement in Los Angeles as an officer with the LAPD. As a police attorney and counter-terrorism investigator, he has a strong understanding of law, policies, and procedure. John is 46 - with an abundance of energy and enthusiasm to lead, yet he has had world-class experience, education and training. John's family's roots are here, and Walla Walla has always been a part of his life. What a tremendous asset he would be to lead our Walla Walla County Sheriff's Department. It would be a shame for this opportunity to slip by, only to realize later that the status quo is mediocre and insufficient against the challenges that our community faces. We need not only fiscal responsibility from our sheriff, but fiscal creativity, out of the box thinking and real plans that will move us forward.

John's professional references at http://www.JohnTurnerFor­Sheriff. com are impressive. They speak volumes about his experience, leadership style, and integrity. After you have had a chance to review John's Web site, and meet John personally, I believe that you will agree with me that John Turner would make an outstanding Sheriff.