Dear Editor

Dear Editor:

The Touchet Valley Trail public meeting in Dayton Sept 16 was great. The Port of Columbia and Waitsburg Commercial Club put together informative presentations by staff, planners and technical experts and the audience was receptive. I enjoyed encountering and discussing more issues and answers than I expected to hear about because citizens who wanted evidence of intense due diligence got it. The trail is a complex project equal to any major infrastructure investment providing important outcomes to our communities and this is the kind of forum necessary to ensure as much public input as possible. Details matter, our diverse industries and professions require them. A few heated exchanges in small groups after the main presentation as people mingled and studied printed information affirmed that they are paying attention and really care about where this project is going, expressing healthy self-interests as well as watching out for the greater civic good. And I heard a lot of thoughtful conversations and friendly laughter, not a simple achievement these days. It all keeps moving forward with more scheduled events coming soon. I don’t want to miss any of them.

Terry Lawhead

Waitsburg