Curtain? What Curtain?

Last week, we carried a story about the KUOW series on the "Cascade Curtain," the idea that the state and its residents are somehow culturally divided by the mountain range that separates them geographically.

We found it interesting how the story about Waitsburg made it sound like our town is somehow a prime example of East Meeting West in a contest of visions and wills over the future of our community.

The local reactions to the radio segment, which can be heard and read online at KUOW.org, were equally interesting. Some thought it was fair and balanced, reflecting some tensions that have existed here. Some thought the host came in with a preconceived idea and selected bits of reality to fit his notions.

Let's be clear. There's no question Waitsburg is changing. It has been changing for quite some time.

In fact, it's hard to argue that it has ever been a static, predictable community even since pioneering days, when the Touchet Valley was subject to new waves of settlers, fortune seekers and travelers all the time.

Being on the path of a world-famous expedition - that of Lewis & Clark - may have set the tone early on for Waitsburg's personality as an ever-evolving town on the confluence of two bodies of water and two highways.

Of course Waitsburg is also well-grounded in its own history, family connections, agricultural pursuits, traditions and institutions (such as its service clubs) that have stood the test of time despite an ebb and flow of residents, businesses and government leaders.

If Waitsburgers didn't welcome a certain amount of change, even regular change, they would have abandoned such institutions as the Territorial Charter long ago. They still elect their city leaders every year. There's never been enough support to let them serve longer terms despite the prospective stability that might create.

But maybe that's the point. Maybe it's a sense of control over change or the lack thereof that's at question here, as the KUOW segment points out.

Change is certainly unpredictable and potentially unsettling. It can lead to concerns that a certain local familiarity, certain customs or certain values will be eroded.

But has that really happened or is that about to happen here?

We don't believe so, at least not to any greater degree than changing community preferences reflect.

First, one of the greatest revelations for our family moving here from the other side of the "Cascade Curtain" is how much closer our cultural and community values are than we thought before we arrived.

We may differ in our ultimate idea of what's best for Waitsburg, but there's no question we all want the best for the town.

Most of us want our town to be healthy and vibrant, a good place for kids to grow up and a good place to live and work. We like the friendliness and neighborliness of our community, and the convenience of having businesses and services close by.

Secondly, we don't buy into the notion that the changes downtown represent a "Seattleization" of Waitsburg. We see it more as a renaissance of good taste that recalls the days when more personal attention was paid to what we eat and drink, values that are as local as a prayer for an abundant wheat harvest.

We don't believe that the yearning for "slow," thoughtfully prepared food and "slow" (meaning "personal" not tardy) customer service is unique to people who live in the Seattle area. One look around at the various businesses in town and we see plenty of local customers embracing this choice of quality, and probably preferring it over what's available in an average suburban strip mall.

The changes fit in with Waitsburg's proud identity as a "One-Of-A-Kind" town and they meet expectations among local residents who are more often than not well educated and well traveled, busting the myth that sophistication is a dividing factor between West and East.

We believe that the best long-term ideal for our community in transition is a basic human respect for our individual differences and a strong collective embrace of the many fundamental values that we share.