Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor:

It seems to be the too-frequent fashion in local conversation to denigrate our home town. Local folk can certainly come up with plenty of fodder to pinpoint what we think might be missing–what buildings offend, what streets need improvement, what local committees fail to accomplish stated goals–the list is seemingly endless, complaining is easy. Finding the gems among the supposed dreck is more difficult.

It is observed with great pleasure that the new Touchet River Valley Visitor's Guide now appears in local shops and institutions, a superbly assembled and neatly edited overview of community resources available to both locals and visitors-the magazine is carefully laid out, rich in original and provided illustration. Page one offers 20 topics worthy for exploration, whether sources of recreation, local museums, or sources for food and drink-would you believe there are 9 food sources in Waitsburg and 19 in Dayton? And the publication is FREE!

A good deal of the information is neatly explanatory, plenty of well-chosen photographs pop up on almost every page, some historical, some informative, and some inviting in the best way. Who is the genius who had the foresight to snap the Dayton Courthouse caught under a rainbow?

What a gift to our community is this snappy and informative guide, and if a corner on the back of the front cover is to be believed, we owe appreciation to Ken Graham and Teeny McMunn, the two individuals named as the Editor and Business Manager of the publication. Bravo for presenting our communities as a positive asset!

Dave Campbell

Dayton