Wow, nearly 10 years in Enumclaw!

When I arrived here on a cold, rainy Jan. 1, 2001, I expected my stay to be five years; before I knew it five was seven and now seven is nearly 10.

I will never forget my first day at the office, Jan. 2. I know I have related this story before but I cannot help telling it again. It was raining hard and, as I opened the door of the old Courier-Herald building, I could see the north wall covered in plastic; upon inspection I could see all the electrical boxes on that wall. I then counted seven buckets as I made my way to the front of the building and my office. I laid my head on my desk and honestly wondered what I had done.

Little did I know then it would be such a great community; what great people helped make up our great communities; and what a great staff I would have at the newspaper. Most are still here today; several departed for greener pastures but have returned.

This Courier-Herald was my fifth newspaper, after stops in Ashland and Albany, Ore., and Yakima and Longview, Wash. I have found the people of Enumclaw, Buckley, Bonney Lake, Sumner, Maple Valley and Covington are truly extraordinary people – people who care about their community and have a passion to fight for what they believe will make it a better place to live.

Whether you are here for five years or 100, I believe to be a part of the community you must get involved, find something you can be passionate about, give your time and experience to and contribute to the well-being of the community and its people.

I have been a Rotarian for nearly 26 years and I found the club a great place to start serving my new community. I joined the Enumclaw Rotary and got to know several people right away. Rotary is a service club that raises funds to support many things on the Plateau. The list is long but here is an abbreviated one: food and clothing for the needy, school backpacks, scholarships for area high school graduates, instruments for young wannabe musicians, domestic violence assistance and sometimes just a simple work day to assist the elderly with yard care, painting their home, fixing a fence or any number of things they cannot do when they get older.

I challenge any of you to get involved with this great organization. You will not regret helping others. Rotary’s slogan is “Service above Self.” If this appeals to you, please step forward, take my place and lend a hand.

Another organization I became involved with was the Enumclaw Regional Hospital Foundation, now called the Enumclaw Regional Healthcare Foundation. Jim Fagnan came to me and told me about this organization nine years ago and said: “Don’t worry, it’s only one meeting a month, so about an hour a month of your time.” I guess it could be only an hour a month, but for me it has turned into about 30 hours a month. This organization became a passion of mine. And with the expanded mission of the foundation it will allow for more opportunities to support many healthcare needs within the communities of the Plateau. One of those is to get a dental van into Enumclaw and Buckley once a month in 2011. This will be the foundation’s “Fund-an-Item” at our annual gala, the Holiday Fantasy. And Mutual of Enumclaw has already stepped forward with a very generous donation to make sure this happens.

With the loss of jobs, healthcare and discretionary income, many people, kids especially, are going without dental care and eventually it turns into a serious health issue. I hope you will be willing to jump on board and be proactive in assisting the foundation and its partner, Enumclaw Youth and Family Services, as they bring this mission of a dental van to Enumclaw and Buckley next year.

I have really enjoyed my time here on the Plateau and the incredible people I have met and worked with. There will always be a special place in my heart for this area and with any luck I will be back here again.

There is a poster in our office expressing the sentiment I have tried to live by for the past 25 years. It says, “PASSION: There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart… pursue those.”

Thank you everyone and continue to pursue your passion.