What’s the opposite of a lovefest?

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Last week in this space, I had the pleasure of writing about the city of Ridgefield. It was what some in the business would refer to as a “Chamber of Commerce’’ piece. The premise is that it was loaded with so much positivity that the Chamber of Commerce would be proud to use it to let everybody know how great the city is.

It would please me greatly to write a similar “Chamber of Commerce’’ column about the city of Woodland, especially on the week leading up to Planters Days, believed to be the longest continually running civic celebration in the state of Washington.

Don’t get me wrong, I would have plenty of inspiration to produce a glowing report of what life is like in this little slice of Americana. Folks like JJ Burke, executive director of the Woodland Chamber of Commerce, and other volunteers including longtime area resident Walter Hansen Sr. spend a great deal of time making sure Planters Days is one of the best community celebrations in the area. This year’s event has a packed schedule full of events spread over a four-day period.

If you’re a regular reader of The Reflector Newspaper you know that we are big fans of the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens and the Lilac Days that are held each spring. We are equally big fans of the annual Woodland Tulip Festival at Holland America Bulb Farms, owned by Benno Dobbe, a true Woodland treasure.

So, while this is not a “Chamber of Commerce’’ piece about Woodland, please know that I recognize there are plenty of reasons why I could be writing one at this or any other time.

A possible answer to the question I posed in the headline to this column is: donnybrook. I don’t know if that’s what is going on in Woodland right now or not, but it’s clear more than one key person in the city has definitely taken the gloves off. I should point out that this isn’t a new dynamic in the city. Since I came to work here at The Reflector in 2007, there has been plenty of political acrimony in the city but it’s not getting any better.

I have not been quick to jump into these muddy waters. I’ve attempted to remain neutral, and I believe I’ve done a good job of doing just that. To be honest with you, I don’t know who did what to whom first and I haven’t figured out who is right and who is wrong. All I know is that many of the elected officials in the city clearly are fed up with each other and they aren’t a bit bashful at letting each other, or me for that matter, know how they feel.

Mayor Grover Laseke is in the forefront of much of the controversy and the one with a bullseye on his chest, forehead, or you pick the body part. I have repeatedly heard from members of the Woodland City Council who are fed up with the mayor, including Benjamin Fredricks who has gone on the record for The Reflector several times in recent stories about the issues in the police department and the public works department.

I was told by two sources that council member Jennifer Heffernan recently lambasted Laseke in an open meeting for comments the mayor made to The Reflector. This week, council member Marshall Allen joined the fray.

“I’m just really fed up with the mayor,’’ Allen told me. “Mr. (Scott) Perry quit the council and Mr. Laseke had been on him for three or four months, rubbing his feathers the wrong way. His tone was different with him that it was with the rest of the members of the council.’’

Allen, who repeatedly and emphatically stated that his comments were absolutely for public use, was particularly upset with the mayor for his comments in a June 10 story about the police staffing issue in Woodland. Laseke said that council members were more receptive to filling a second vacant officer position (and possible more) because they “got tired of being beat up by the residents.’’

“The mayor told a lie,’’ said Allen, using the word lie or lied many times in our conversation. “I’m just tired of him saying something and it getting in the paper and everybody sitting back and taking it.’’

Allen said the mayor had commented to many people in the city that the council members “were trying to wreck the police department.’’

“These are bald-faced lies,’’ Allen said. “I desire to have police within this city.’’



I don’t report this latest exchange on just its own merit. It’s just an example of the acrimony that has been present among the elected officials for quite some time, dating back to Chuck Blum’s tenure as mayor and continuing with various council members. Some names and faces have changed over the years, but the acrimony has persisted.

Allen is not running for re-election to his council position and he is not bashful about saying why.

“The only person on the council who agrees with the mayor on anything is Al Swindell, the other ones pretty much act on their own for what they believe in,’’ Allen said. “The mayor causes most of the riffs.’’

Allen went on to express frustrations with the mayor over the search for a new police chief, specifically a previous recommendation for hire prior to the selection of current Chief Philip Crochet. Allen is also still upset because he felt Laseke “talked council members into giving him a $33,000 pay raise’’ after getting elected. Laseke actually convinced the council members that Woodland needed a full-time mayor and he offered to do the job for one term (at a reduced rate) while they were supposed to figure out a way to pay a full-time administrator, which they haven’t done yet.

Like I said, I am completely neutral in this situation. You may challenge that by saying the publishing of Allen’s comments removes said neutrality. If you believe that, you’re wrong. I don’t have a dog in this fight. I don’t have a quarrel or any overwhelming insight into who is the hero and who is the villain in Woodland. You know what we say in this business, the best disinfectant is sunlight. Well, this situation certainly calls for more than just a little sunlight.

I recently asked Laseke why he elected not to run for mayor, and yet decided to run for a council position. He said he always planned on just serving as mayor for one term, but that if he did have thoughts of running for the position again that “what has happened since the first of the year would have thrown cold water on any ideas I would have had for doing that.’’

“The progress we need to make is at the council level,’’ said Laseke, explaining his choice to run for a council position. “There is a lot of work to be done to bring that together. It’s a little bit different being a council member than being the mayor.

“The mayor is the executive branch and the city council is the legislative branch,’’ Laseke said. “There’s always going to be some disagreement in how the city is going to be run and things of that nature. But, with some of the issues we’ve been facing lately, the city council wants to get involved in things they probably don’t have any business getting involved in, such as personnel issues and other specific things that by law are given to the mayor to handle.’’

So, while it’s Allen’s opinion that Laseke is at the root of Woodland’s political acrimony, it’s Laseke’s belief that it’s the other way around.

“There’s always been controversy between the mayor and the city council and in my opinion it’s because the council wants to be more involved in the executive branch than they have the authority to be,’’ Laseke said.

Stay tuned. I’m sure more news will follow.

Ken Vance

Editor