I mentioned in last Thursday’s 10-year anniversary column that finding topics to write about isn’t too difficult if you just pay attention to the world around you. I found enough topics in Saturday’s issue to more than fill the space today and still have three left over.
First of all I noticed that work is about to resume on construction of a replica of a pioneer church to go along with the Borst home and the schoolhouse replica in Fort Borst Park. It was noted that a drive is underway for contributions to be used for the purchase of church benches. That gives the impression religious services are intended to be performed there.
At the time construction work was halted for the winter, I brought up a possible conflict with the separation of church and state if services were held there. I remember, though, that the Claquato church is also on public property and services have been conducted there for years. It has never been clarified about what to do if a group wants to perform a Shinto or Muslim service. I’ll state here that, if a ceremony requiring the eating of flesh from an enemy is ever considered as part of a religious rite, I’d be against it!
Moving on.
The cleanup of the Bonagofski property on Reynolds Avenue is just about complete. It had to be done, but I question whether another piece of property shouldn’t have received attention first. I’m referring to a piece on the west side of Old Highway 99 where Lewis County borders with Thurston County. The only recent action I’ve seen in this area has been the removal of a fence that had hidden part of the mess there.
I don’t understand how people who publicly urge more tourist attractions can be satisfied with a garbage pile as the first thing visitors see crossing into Lewis County.
Next item: Brittany Voie’s column in Saturday’s Chronicle has already expressed my feelings about the passage of the act that permits midwives and doulas to assist in pregnancies inside prisons. My compliments and thanks go to state Rep. Richard DeBolt for his part in that action. My only additional comment is to wonder why state legislators hadn’t done it sooner?
It reminded me, though, of the times I took my Mark Twain show to the women’s prison at Purdy under the auspices of the State Commission for the Humanities.
I had no idea of what kind of reception I’d be getting. Would they be angry at me for being a man when, in most cases, men were probably a part of the reason they were incarcerated? Or would they revolt and hold me captive? I had my preference, of course.
They were a wonderful audience!
They begged me to come back and the commission responded and booked me to return two weeks later. I visited many prisons that year, including one on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula where I received the most memorable — if not best — compliment in all my years of touring.
The beginning of my performance was awkward that evening because a favorite TV show had been turned off in the middle of it in order for me to start. There were only few laughs at first, but they increased in number and volume as things progressed until ending with a very warm applause.
While waiting for a guard to let me out, I spied a short but powerful looking man approaching me with the deliberate steps of a person in charge.
My first thought was, “This guy’s the head of a gang here.” I took a deep breath and held it as he stood in front of me, toe to toe, looked up into my face and said only three words.
“You got balls,” he said, then turned and strode back to his group. I exhaled, feeling about 2 feet taller.
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Bill Moeller is a former entertainer, mayor, bookstore owner, city council member, paratrooper and pilot living in Centralia. He can be reached at bookmaven321@comcast.net.
