I’m a small town boy, and boy, have I been eating up the rural life here in North Clark County.
By way of introduction, I am the regional executive editor for Lafromboise Communications, Inc., the parent company of The Reflector. We own three papers — The Reflector, The Chronicle in Lewis County, and The Nisqually Valley News in Yelm, near Olympia.
I am also the publisher and editor of the Nisqually Valley News, and spend most of my workdays up in the Nisqually Valley. Lately, however, I have been helping out at The Reflector a couple days each week as we have brought in three new reporters. The Chronicle Editor Eric Schwartz has also been assisting each week. The three newspapers, and our print division, truly work as a team, and although we all have our specific duties, we do share the workload across all our divisions when needed.
I grew up in a small town, and have mainly worked in small towns for the past three decades as a reporter, editor and publisher. The biggest city would have been Bremerton, but I don’t consider that much of a metropolitan center.
I don’t care too much for the city life, and the hotel life is no exception, so lately, when I come down to work in Battle Ground, I stay at a small cottage, mother-in-law space or remodeled attic and the like, found through the website www.airbnb.com. The website hooks up people with a room or home to rent, with someone like me. For about the same price as a normal hotel room (often lower), I spent a night this past week at a charming cottage adjacent to a home on a small farm in Ridgefield. It is quiet, clean, has a bedroom, kitchen, small dining area and bathroom, along with the required WiFi.
This has caused me to drive the backroads of North Clark County to find the various Airbnb rentals scattered across the area.
When I first started paying attention to The Reflector years ago, I was amazed at the equestrian section that regularly runs. Now I get it. I’ve seen the fields, farms and livestock tucked away as soon as you get off of Interstate 5 and the other highways that criss-cross North Clark County.
I am finding some jewels (perhaps my favorite haunt is Ridgefield’s Pacific Northwest Best Fish Co. with adjacent restaurant and brewpub). The Mill Creek Pub is another solid place to grab a burger and fries.
I did get to go to The Clark County Fair two weeks ago. I was hunting down stories for our seniors sections, and found two groups of wonderful Clark Countians — Grange members and quilters. I also strolled through the 4-H and FFA exhibits. Sure there were corn dogs and carnival rides and motorcycles flying through the air. But the fair was a showcase for rural Clark County, and it sparkled.
The county grange is one of the strongest in the state, I’ve never seen so many quilts in one place, and the kids and their animals gave a glimpse into the life of The Reflector’s readers.
I have heard grumblings about how the steady and heavy growth coming to Clark County is changing this way of life, from soaring rents to traffic congestion.
I do see a lot of mansions built on farmland dotted across the county. I see homes that used to be off the beaten path now hugging up against newly-built highways.
Some don’t like the growth. The same is true for my newspaper readers in Yelm. Oldtimers are among the strongest opponents of growth. Not long ago there wasn’t even a stop light in Yelm. Today it is the fastest growing area within Thurston County, which itself is seeing steep population growth.
I don’t think the population growth in Yelm or North Clark County will be stopped as some would like; and the growth does produce needed jobs and tax base. I do think there can be efforts to preserve the rural way of life to a point, and that should be pondered by city, county and state officials.
One aspect that can’t be taken away is the strength of the rural residents — hardworking and friendly. The other aspect that will remain is the beauty of the land, buffered by the Columbia River to the west and the foothills of the Cascades to the east.
Michael Wagar
Regional Executive Editor
