There's a New Tombstone in Town!

If you're here, you really should be checking out this:

https://thedailytombstone.wordpress.com/

Thanks and best of luck to the new anonymous(es) who are picking up the shovel where I left it. Dig it, kids, dig it!



THIS Was the Big Reveal???

I know, I know...I'm gone, but...I couldn't resist because I couldn't believe. A $99 dollar composite pickleball paddle? THIS was the big secret product waiting to be revealed?

 

Then again, with the entire country in a Trump-induced pickle, maybe it's just the thing for these times. But really...I know all sorts of other things I could spend $99 dollars on. 



I Believe the 285

So, which side do you believe...The handful of hateful zealots who don't see anything wrong with their bullying, heartless, uncharitable, behavior...Or the down and out folks who would have had to file 285 false complaints in less than a year...The following two items come from: A comment from the PDN's coverage (such as it is - original typos included) of this story, and a commenter who wishes to remain anonymous because of their fear of retribution.

 

*********

 

Laurie Larson1 hour ago

Your fear is irrational Mom.

 

These men have done nothing wrong and there is nothing to procecute as was stated repeatedly. Their names should never have been released since no crime was committed

 

They have a right to open carry firearms for their own protection.

 

With people like you bullying and spreading lies and hate we are all danger. Thanks for that.

 

Ignoring the issue that no one should have been there when they went looking and Our Town had permission to clean up City property. We tried to stay as closely connection with LE as we could to make sure we did things right. We learned as we went and adapted to the towns needs. No one in the group is doing any of the vigelante things its accused of and those that are bullying it like you Mom have no room to talk.

 

The hate and destruction needs to stop.

 

This town is being destroyed because people like you would rather attack good people trying to protect the community than criminals destroying it. 

 

Laurie Larson1 hour ago

 

 

*********

 

There's that old punchline to an old joke: "Who are you gonna believe - me or your lyin' eyes?"

 

For me, I'm going to believe the people who filed 285 complaints, at great personal risk, with no real hope of follow up, but with a real fear of ("Our Town" sponsored) retribution. Why do I believe that? Because it is nonsensical to think that there was a coordinated effort to file 285 false complaints. Think about it: Even if half of them are fake, that would still leave a whopping 140+ complaints of illegal, cruel harassment. What would the payoff be for some people who are down and out to file false reports? How would they know who to say was harassing them? What possible motivation would they have?

 

On the other hand, we can see what the motivation would be for the "Our Town" clowns. They're small, mean people who need to feel some sense of power in their otherwise chaotic and sad little lives. They need to feel bigger and better than someone - anyone - and to assert themselves in this world they have trouble navigating in some way, any way, however cruel. They're hypocrites, and false Christians, and just plain creepy.

 

But, let's face it, they can see who there is to pick on. They can see how the power structure or pecking order is set up in Clallam County. You don't have to get all the way up to 285 complaints that haven't been acted on to realize that such complaints aren't going to be acted on. Law enforcement gave these goons a green light, and they just want to keep stepping on the gas.

 

And on their fellow citizens.

 

There but for the grace of God...Goes someone I'd like to treat in a harsh and inhumane manner. That's the "Our Town" way. It's the way of arsonist assassins, lynchings, and sociopathic fascists throughout history. "Our Town" doesn't sound like a very nice place to visit, or to live.

People Who Live in "Our Town" ***3rd UPDATE!***

 

 

 

*********UPDATED!*********

 

Thanks to the reader who sent the link to this newest gem directly above. Apparently, the right and moral thing to do when your group of thugs and crooks is getting bad press is to try and smear someone else. In other words, try to change the subject.

 

Well, I don't want to change the subject. Sorry. But, to give the creepy, unethical and bullying "Our Town" clowns a taste of their own medicine, I've posted the latest screenshot above, but have deleted the name of someone who has nothing to do with the troubles of "Our Town" and replaced it with the name of someone who very much is behind the trouble in "Our Town".

 

Spread the word, and share the shame.  

 

*********2nd UPDATE!*********

 

Well, gosh! The evidence proving the ill intent and illegal actions of the "Our Town" clowns just keeps pouring in! I haven't even posted all I've gotten, and it just keeps coming in. Here's one of the best of the most recent batch...

 



 

I'm posting this one mainly to show how whiny these supposedly brave individuals are. These morons go out, harass people, break the law, demonstrate how heartless and cruel they are...And when the Port O Call simply tells the truth about them, then POC is "destroying our community." (Note the use of that possessive again...) That's pretty rich.

 

Oh, and as for the mention of this blog...I'd say that posting information from public records (police reports) about people who are suspected of criminal activity (like David Morse, Howard Reynolds and Shea "She" McDonald) is more than okay - I'd say it's a public service.

 

In regards to David Morse's macho comment ("Bad move for him...)...Gimme a break. You're a mama's boy, Davey, nearly 50 years old and still living at home. You're a loser. A big, fat loser. And we all know it. What's more, you know it. That's why you have to try and act tough, to compensate for your nothing life and feelings of inadequacy. Sorry to use words you don't understand, but trust me, believe me, we've all got your number.

 

Literally! That would be 360-477-1375, as well as 360-374-9722. Or, you can still be found living with mommy at 609 S. Pine St. What's mommy making you for dinner tonight, Davey?

 

Am I taunting you, Davey boy? You bet! Because, believe me, without your buddies and your gun, you're nothing. Nothing. You're just a bully trying to pump yourself up. You and your creepy comrades deserve our scorn and mockery, and nothing more. Nothing more for the nothing you are.

 

Anyway...Here's looking forward to more info from and about "Our Town." It will keep coming out, and it will not be pretty. 

 

*********3rd UPDATE!*********

 

Here's the link suggested by Bif in the comments section. This way, you can just click on it and go. Thanks for the tip, Bif. Have fun searching, folks.

 

http://dw.courts.wa.gov/index.cfm?fa=home.namesearch&terms=accept&flashform=0





Without Turnout, How Can You Have Turnover?

It's another case of compare and contrast between neighboring counties, as told through the medium of headlines.

Almost 40 percent return ballots in Jefferson County

More than 28 percent return ballots in Clallam County

Those are the latest headlines, but the earlier versions had shown a similar split - 19% vs. 14%. And, if history is any guide, that split will hold right down to the end, with Jeff Co. having a higher percentage of their ballots returned than Clallam.

Which brings us to a version of the chicken or the egg question. Does Clallam County have lower turnout because it has lousy candidates, or does Clallam County have lousy candidates because the slackers and creeps that usually run for office know there's low turnout (and thus a lower bar to clear)?

And that question leads to another one. We all know there is a great, great deal of dissatisfaction with the (overall low, low, low) quality of people who get elected in Clallam County and Port Angeles. Citizen, and thus voter, dissatisfaction and distrust is very high, as is, it seems, the desire for change. So you'd think there'd be bigger turnouts during elections...Only, well, there isn't. So how do you achieve any sort of change and turnover without better turnout?

Sure, it's the fundamental building block

of our democracy, but...Whatever.



Picking "Our Town" Apart

Thanks to a concerned reader for sending along all the screen snaps! They are appreciated and revealing. In fact, here's a very revealing one right here:

 

Let's dissect this one paragraph from Chelsea Ward, shall we?

 

First, she gives us more names, which is always useful. The more everyone knows who is involved with this "Our Town" insanity, the better.

 

Next, let's note the loaded language that bitter nutcase Chelsea uses. (Get that one, Chelsea?) In public, these "Our Town" clowns do generally try to stick to less inflammatory descriptors, like "homeless camp." But in private, well, Chelsea just knows it's "trashed" and that the people there are "junkies." But I'm gonna bet that Chelsea had never been there, and didn't actually know the people there. (Freely making assumptions as so many of these hypocritical criminals do...) It never hurts to dehumanize your victims, eh?

 

Then, from loaded words we go to coded words. They have gotten permission for a handful (or gang) of trusted "Our Town" members (who can be counted on to do violence and/or keep their mouths shut) to enter the property and "clean it out" (do violence to those found there).

 

Two notes on this supposed permission. One is that if the owners knew there were people camping there illegally, why didn't they just call the real, actual law? Why would they go with these thugs? And speaking of those thugs...If they had permission to be there ahead of time, I don't recall any of them mentioning that in the police report or (in the case of stupid, stupid Shea) in comments to the PDN.

 

Moving on, Chelsea explains that because of this permission, the "Our Town" goons will "no longer be considered trespassers when we go back there." Which is a classic inadvertent admission that they had been back there before, harassing these people before.

 

Finally, please note that, after all the seeming words of permission and comfort that she has offered, Chelsea ends by stating that "These clean ups will be behind the scenes for a while..." This seems like a clear tacit acknowledgment that what they are discussing and doing is, in fact, not ready for public consumption, no doubt due to the thuggish and illegal nature of it.

 

But hey, those are just my thoughts. I'm sure you'll have plenty of your own. In the meantime, please keep those "Our Town" materials coming. As we can all see, this problem has gotten so big that even the PDN has had to write an article about it.

 

Better late than never, Paul...



The Withering of The Vine

Thanks for all the tips pouring in, folks. Taking back your town from the creepy, creepy cretins in "Our Town" is possible, but they have been very active, popping up everywhere like weeds.

Or, maybe like vines. Below you'll find a link to Daniel Macha's GoFundMe pitch to start his own, more fascistic and "Our Town"-centric newspaper, "The Vine of Clallam County." Needless to say, it looks like a money-grabbing scam, because I very much doubt that Mr. Macha has the inclination or ability to actually produce anything. And, needless to say, as a money-grab, it looks less than successful, given that his goal is $10,000, and he has raised a whopping $370 so far.

https://www.gofundme.com/planting-the-vine-of-clallam-county-2w6ctys

Anyway, when you go to the "Planting the Vine" pitch page, you'll see the photo below of Daniel Macha, so you can know what this macho blowhard looks like.



And when you check out the "Planting the Vine" page, be sure to click on the link for the "Our Town coverage map." It's the map(s) they created to hunt and hassle homeless people - just like what Jesus would do if he only had a computer.

Finally, let me post this photo of David Morse again (he's the one on the right, with the flabby belly), as well as his great "braking" the law quote. You know what, David? Even if you can't spell, you're still capable of creating evidence and announcing your criminal intent. You moron.

 

 



Some Truly Scary Stuff...Just in Time for Halloween

The police report is long, and the details many, but to give you a feel for the events the paperwork captures, here's a sample that sums up what's been going on with some "Our Town" members:

"...(the victim) did tell me he believed the vehicles were associated with the "Our Town" group. I asked him why he thought that and he told me those were the only people who had been bothering him lately."

The victim in this case is being kind when he says the "Our Town" goons have been "bothering" him, because he and his friends (all of whom are homeless) had just been threatened at gunpoint by three pathetic excuses for men. Which proves once again that even when you're down and out, there's always some shitheel asshole wannabe tough guy who is down lower than you'll ever be. Or, in this case, three such losers.

In case you're curious as to who these three bullying goons are, let me tell you, in as much detail as I can currently muster. (More details will almost certainly follow. You know how these "Our Town" folks like to share information online.)

Head Creep and Certified "Short-Man Syndrome" Sufferer: David Lance Morse
609 S. Pine St, Port Angeles
360-477-1375 and also 360-374-9722
Date of birth: 1/30/1967
Height: It says just 5'3" - Can that be correct? Can a man be that short?
Weight: 160 pounds
Gray hair
Good ol' boy David drives a blue truck (I think it's a Dodge) with license number B58556H

Besides "cleaning up Our Town," can anyone spot

anything else that idiot David doesn't have a clue about?



Minion, Henchman, Bullyboy and Thug Number One: Howard M. Reynolds
1748 E. 4th St., Port Angeles
360-504-2228
Date of birth: 11/15/1974
Height: 5'7"
Weight: A just plain obese 280 pounds
Brown hair

Minion, Bootlicker, Ass Kisser and Thug Number Two: Shea Alan McDonald
519 W. 5th St., Port Angeles
360-809-0147
Date of birth: 2/21/1975
Height: 6'
Weight: 165 pounds
Strawberry blond hair
(P.S. to Big Man Shea: Spokeo has you listed as a woman, because you've got a woman's name.)

Readers who have more information to share on this trio of turds are encouraged to do so, either by posting, or by emailing. After all, I'm sure they're all proud of their operations to bully the homeless. They're doing it "for you," so why not give them all the publicity and exposure they deserve? Enough of this modesty stuff, guys! If you're tough enough to pick on those less fortunate (when you're in a group, and carrying guns), then you should be tough enough to spend a few minutes in the spotlight.

So, smile David! Smile, Howard! Give us a big purty grin, Shea! It's time for your close-up!

Here's a Picture of Adam Chamberlin Smoking Pot...

...Which was probably illegal when this photo was taken. Let's see...Pot's only been made legal recently, while Myspace, which is where Adam Chamberlin posted this photo, peaked and was "current" a couple of years before that. So, I have to assume that this picture was taken when pot was illegal, which makes Adam Chamberlin (pot smoker) a criminal. Yes, a criminal drug user.

This hypothesis is further supported by the "clever" or "funny" caption that Adam Chamberlin, lawbreaker, put on this self-portrait, which, "wink wink," warns that the police sometimes monitor social media accounts.

Which, given what's happened to Adam Chamberlin (law-breaking hypocrite) is kind of funny. (Though I'm guessing that Adam Chamberlin - arrested future felon - probably isn't laughing about it now.)

Here's a token (or is that tokin'?) tribute to

ADAM CHAMBERLIN, of Port Angeles.



Anyway, I wasn't planning on posting anything again about Adam Chamberlin, bully and loser that he is, so quickly. But, being that the misguided supporters of Adam Chamberlin (known creep) have been ever so responsive here, and have streamed here in such great numbers to see what's being said about Adam Chamberlin (sweaty peckerwood lowlife loser), I figured I'd give them something to see when they drop by again.

Hey, you know what? Adam (going to prison) Chamberlin is an anagram dream machine! Here's one that at least sort of touches on the situation (Adam Chamberlin, arson enabler) everyone is talking about: Maim Cab Handler. Another one that really, and I mean really works for Adam Chamberlin (given his history of inciting criminal acts) is this: Bedlam Chairman. Now that I really like!

Or, on the other side of things, since he didn't linger too long in custody before being bailed out by his easily deceived followers, maybe the better anagram for Adam Chamberlin (who'll soon be in the joint, sucking on something that isn't a joint) would be: Charmed Bail Man.

But, no matter what you call Adam Chamberlin (did I mention sweaty peckerwood loser?), you can be sure we'll ALL be talking about him for the foreseeable future. After all, it would be a real shame if more people didn't have the opportunity to learn all about that great, great tough guy, "Madam I'm Adam" Chamberlin.



Some Die With Their Boots On...And Some Die With Their Hand Out

So, for those of you who haven't heard, Don Perry literally dropped dead yesterday - hopefully before he got to vote for Donald Trump. Anyway, there's a story about it that was just put up on the PDN's website, if you want more info than you're going to find here.

The thing that jumped out at me from the article, aside from the ridiculously large picture at the top of it, and Cherie Kidd's woefully misguided description of Don as "a visionary," was the fact that there's been a GoFundMe account set up to raise money to pay for Don's funeral, and to "help Don's family."

Now, call me old fashioned, but...Even if I was dead I'd be embarrassed by such a thing. This really strikes me as putting out a tin cup and begging for funeral funds, which, to me, is a private family responsibility. As for the "to help Don's family" part, again...It just seems unseemly to me.

Am I wrong here? Am I behind the times? Or is there still some dignity left in death?

He helped "save" the Port Angeles underground...

Now he'll be in Port Angeles, underground.

R.I.P. Don Perry.



With Friends Like These...

In case you've ever wondered what a lying, self-serving, flip-flopping, pill-popping loser looks like...Here's an ad from one such individual. These ads are all over the PDN's website today.

 

"People before Politics." Translation: Line my pocket before I'll do my job.

 

Don't forget to vote, folks.



Those Who Will Burn Travel Trailers, They Will Also, in the End, Burn People

http://portocallpublishing.com/2016/10/torching-of-travel-trailer-has-our-town-feel-to-it/



Stiff 'Em AKA Our Wallet is Empty, But the Turd Tank is Still Full of Shit

Of note yesterday was a tip that the grotesque and gargoyle-like Glenn Cutler has been brought back into City Hall as a consultant. This should come as no surprise, since cash and carry Cutler is all about skimming...I mean, earning, all the money he can. After all, he's an old man just barely making ends meet with his two full pensions.

But whether or not ghoulish Glenn Cutler physically came back or not, his presence, his legacy, will be felt in City Hall for a long time. Case in point: His signature project, the expensive and foolish Turd Tank, is back in the news.

From an article written by Cutler's wannabe son and ardent admirer, Paul Gottlieb:

A $1 million dispute centered on building delays and construction costs has bubbled up between city officials and the builder of key components of the city's new $47 million Combined Sewer Overflow system, the priciest public works project in the city's history.

"We are saying some of the costs are not valid," said Craig Fulton, Public Works and Utilities Director for the city. Fulton told City Council members Tuesday that negotiations, if unsuccessful, could lead to litigation.

This is all classic Port Angeles bullshit, ineptitude and sleazy behavior. First, approve and embrace "the priciest public works project in the city's history" even though it's backbreakingly expensive, and doesn't actually solve the problem it's supposed to address. Two, sit back and watch those costs soar! (Remember when this was "only" a $30 million dollar project? And the $47 cost cited is lowballing it by a shameful amount.) Three: Balk at paying all the bills for your own stupid project. And four: Balk at paying your own bills, but happily shell out for consultants to "review" the costs you're contesting.

Words that no one in City Hall can read...



It's practically a recipe: Take a big slug of stupid, mix in ludicrous amounts of tax dollars, simmer until costs overrun, and then spice it liberally with consultants. Cook until your debt load crushes your citizens, and voila! You've got a Port Angeles stew.

I have to wonder if all the construction and engineering firms in the region are waking up to the fact that fact that Port Angeles is a bad risk. Business-wise, it's risky getting involved with the City, since they have no problem placing big orders, but are increasingly stingy when the bill comes.

In the Spirit of Adam Chamberlin

Since online shaming is obviously something Adam Chamberlin is a big believer in, let me do my part in helping to spread his newfound "fame" online. Below is a photo of Mr. Chamberlin, just so we all know what a big, bad tough guy looks like. Any unfortunate readers who are in possession of nude photos of Mr. Chamberlin are encouraged to submit them for publication.



I've Been Gone, But Port Angeles is Doggone!

So, I've been away for a couple of days (to lovely Astoria, Oregon), and it seems like I didn't miss much.

Oh, well, there was this one item...

Child rape, animal cruelty charges filed against Port Angeles woman

Deanna Marie Wilson, 41, was charged for allegedly raping a 15-year-old boy, having sexual contact with a dog, and for taking pictures of the incidents.

Other than that, looks like it's been business as usual in happy, functional Port Angeles.

One Picture, and Not Quite a Million Words

Here's a picture that was sent in, along with a little commentary...

 I know, it IS a rainy day.  But, I just had to take this picture. It just seemed to sum up so much that is "Port Angeles".

In the foreground, those multi-million dollar fake beaches, still devoid of any human life. Yes, some might say people don't go to beaches in bad weather, but as you know, other places make big money with just that: https://www.wickinn.com/winter-storm-watching

Also highlighted are those wonderful wind machines Nathan is so excited about.

But the real point is the backdrop. That Chevron Company blue oil tanker. Or is that ARCO blue?

Do I sense a certain irony in all this? Beaches and oil tankers? Has such a warm and positive connotation to it!

The vision to conceptualize and approve spending millions of taxpayer money to create this juncture of popular culture.

Also on this rainy day, thoughts turn to the homeless, and the shelters the city has no money to create or operate. But beaches with up close views of oil tankers under repair?!? Hell yes!



Dan Gase's Role Model - Busted!

The following is a tip I got from a reader...I verified that (as of this writing) Adam Chamberlin is still in jail. See below for details...

Chamberlin is the leader of the vigilante wing of "Our Town."

You may be aware Adam C. Chamberlin of Port Angeles was arrested and jailed Thursday charged with taking someone's cell phone, lifting personal photos off the cell phone and posting the nude photos of the cell phone's owner on a website. 

He was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.

Chamberlin is also under investigation by Clallam County Sheriff's Department for spraying pepper-spray, or other noxious chemical, into a car containing a family of three, as they were driving on a county road.

Finally, Chamberlin is under investigation by the Washington Department of Licensing, who sent him a letter advising him he must show cause why his Private Investigator's license should not be suspended.

ADAM CHARLES CHAMBERLIN
NO BOND

Click on Statute to go the the RCW. (Launches in separate window.) Click on Court Case for dates & details. (Launches in separate window.)
Charges for this booking.
Date	#	Statute/Description/Disposition	Cnts	Court Case
10/13/2016	1	9A.86.010 GSMD DISCLOSING INTIMATE IMAGE GMSD	1	FA
	2	9.41.190 (5212) UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF FIREARMS	1	FA

Crap Fest Undercooked and Uncovered

From a concerned and informed reader:

CrapFestering does nothing to help any other business in downtown PA.

It actually makes all the other restaurants suffer. It is not a community event, it is an event to line the pockets of a very few, and relies on "volunteers" and hype.

So, work for free and get a t-shirt and half-a-crab dinner, a volunteer drawing. While you sell crab that has a wholesale price of $2.90 a pound, for 10X the amount.

It is NOT benefiting any 501(c)3, it is ONLY a WA nonprofit corporation (and not listed as a "charity" on the WA Secty of State pages).

It is not to help a club or organization. It is not fundraising. It is not a community event. It is a community rip-off.

It is pure and simple profit for a very few. The corporation doesn't have a board of directors, only a president and secty.  (Oooh, gee, and aren't THEY RELATED?)

It also has, in the past, violated a number of health codes (using salt water from Hollywood Beach to hold the crabs in. (Nom nom, more sewage, please, we just had a big rain!)

These violations, as well as poor food handling practices, and lack of sanitation (have a smoke, go serve food, without washing hands) are all overlooked.

Food prepared by unpaid volunteers is always questionable in my book.

YUM. More please? No thanks. I wouldn't be caught dead at that rip-off.

First, you take a big ol' dump in my living room.

And now, you want to eat me, too?

You people are sick!



And let's not forget that the same people in charge who think this is a wonderful, tourism-inducing event are the exact same people who will deny that climate change is real - the effects of which are making it ever more difficult for crustaceans to form shells. (Run that one by Cherie Kidd, eh?) Also, as mentioned above, let's not forget all the times that Crab Fest really has been Crap Fest due to the fact that it occurred right after a CSO (combined sewer overflow) event - with said CSOs having been engineered by those very same geniuses in charge.

Yes, that's Port Angeles for you. A place that's flush with good ideas...

Words Fail Me

...Or at least, words fail the Port Angeles City Council, who think that verbally admonishing someone is beyond the pale.

Congratulations and thanks to the two City Council members (Lee and Michael) who at least had enough guts to say...We should say something.

As for the rest of them...Pathetic.

Just in time for Halloween...

Goes well with the No Spine makeup kit.



Secret? What Secret?

Sigh...

The never-ending repetition of unhealthy behaviors on display in Port Angeles continues unabated. The latest example comes from, well, the latest example. Port Angeles is really, really good at harebrained projects run by a recycled circle jerk of incompetents and crooks.

So, yeah, I'm talking about the Composite Recycling Technology Center. Their board chairman has stepped down - or sideways, anyway - to become their new chief operations officer. And he will be replaced by another board member who is stepping up - or over - to take his place as chairman.

All of this shuffling, and spending, is being done in the service of bringing the Top Secret Product to market At A Time To Be Announced. No, really, they'd like to tell you, but then they'd have to kill you. Nothing personal.

Or, even more likely, just plain nothing. Check out the photo below and tell me if you think this looks like a place that is ready to ramp up to do anything.

The hot item for Christmas 2016: Composite placemats!



One guy, one machine, and a couple of desks. Oh, and a lot of empty floor space. A thriving, Secret Product-producing factory this does not look like.

Now, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this is all on the up-and-up and it will soon be raining money down at the ol' CRTC. Maybe. But maybe the real secret there is no secret at all. Maybe the secret is that, yes Virginia, it's just another Port Angeles scam. One that will, in the end produce no real jobs, and very real piles of composite crap that will ultimately need to be disposed of.

Meanwhile, another not-so-secret aspect of Port Angeles is playing out in the news again. (Keeping that "Crime" section filled, eh?) Yet again, some creepy guy has been arrested for sexual abuse of a kid. That's another scenario where someone is undoubtedly saying, "Don't tell, it's a secret!" Yet here it is, out in the open again, and it really does seem to be happening with depressing regularity.

Drugs, scams, crimes, creeps and sexual predators. Port Angeles, are you really ready to realize your potential? Are you really ready for your close-up? Really?

When is a Puff Piece NOT a Puff Piece?

In case you haven't heard, Ron Judd over at the Seattle Times did what is clearly supposed to be a warm, huggable, puff piece on Port Angeles a few days ago - one of those, "Is Port Angeles on the cusp of greatness at long last?" type things. Only it didn't really turn out that way...You can read the piece for yourself here:

http://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/is-port-angeles-ready-to-realize-its-potential/

It seems pretty clear that Mr. Judd has a soft spot in his heart for Port Angeles, but maybe he doesn't see all the soft spots in his story, the ones that let the unvarnished truth come through all too blightly. A sampling follows:

These treasures make PA a true Port of Angels for outdoor lovers of all stripes. More than 3 million per year venture onto national park lands; most of them drive through — alas, often straight through — Port Angeles on the way.

 

Was it a sign…Might it be an omen that Port Angeles was finally about to become something more than, as a local pub server put it recently, “a somewhat nicer Forks”?

 

Maybe. A better question for a town long struggling with low household incomes, high unemployment and a population that stubbornly clings below 20,000: Does it even want to be?

 

(Downie’s) optimism is shared, perhaps not quite so exuberantly, by local economic development officials who acknowledge the accompanying challenges. The same unfinished, out-there persona that makes Port Angeles attractive to residents can be a challenge to businesses that must operate in something of an economic bubble.

 

To date: Numerous nibblers, few big biters.

 

Low wages. Worrisome levels of drug abuse. A lack of skilled workers.

 

There are other tells as well, in this attempt to promote Port Angeles as not being as old, out of date and out of touch as it is. No pictures of elderly Mayor Downie, for instance, and no mention at all of daffy Deputy Mayor Cherie Kidd. (She must be heartbroken!) No mention of the City's mountain of debt. They refer to the rundown and moldy Lincoln Theater as "stately," which is a lie Donald Trump would be proud of. You get the picture - but those from elsewhere might not.

 

That is, unless they read the comments piling up at the end of the article. Those, for the most part, tell a darker, more hopeless tale of Port Angeles...

 

PA seems to be bigger and uglier every time I visit. Maybe the population is stable but the sprawl of car lots and strip malls only gets worse...And seriously, that whole county needs an intervention for the drug problem.

 

PA sucks and always has. Such a beautiful setting wasted on a crappy town full of ugly, hateful people.

 

What PA is on the cusp of is destroying any beauty it has left...Now it's miles of strip malls and traffic.

 

Land of the redneck. Very unwelcoming to outsiders.

 

The biggest problem with PA is that it is literally infested with drug addicts and rampant crime. I'd wager 5% or more of the population is deep in the heroin/meth and theft scene. Until the community wakes up and makes a concerted effort to change things, PA will just be a good place to come and get robbed or have your kids get hooked on drugs if you're fool enough to bring a family here. (Please note the use of "here" here. Apparently a local wrote this comment.)

 

(Responding to the comment above.) You have hit the biggest problem with PA. I wonder if residents actually walk around downtown, or go to the parks, or walk the waterfront, to find the dirty needles and heroin foils lying around everywhere! Do they not see the empty buildings everywhere? Even though many communities across the nation are experiencing the heroin epidemic, this community is as rampant with the problem, more so than many others. City officials and others act as if there is no problem and don't want to recognize it.

 

I looked at PA as a possible place to relocate. Druggies and homeless on the streets downtown spooked me. I understand that Clallam County has one of the state's worst overdose rates per capita.

 

Mind you, these are but a few of the comments that follow the article...

 

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

If it bleeds, it leads, the saying goes. And clearly the Peninsula Daily News believes in the "crime time is the right time" philosophy. When they upgraded (which is to say downgraded) their website, they even added a special, stand alone section for CRIME. But, if things keep on going like they are, with apologies to Jaws, they may need a bigger section. Crime is busting out all over in today's paper.

Clallam County deputies investigate after girl in Port Angeles says man told her to get in his truck

Family members interrupt alleged burglary in Port Angeles

Port Angeles man charged after foot pursuit

You've been busy, Port Angeles! (And I'm sure that there are plenty of stories that don't make the paper - but you can check the jail roster online if you're interested.) The first two of those headlines sound the scariest, and paint the clearest pictures of crime intruding into lives unexpectedly. And, admittedly, both of those stories have notable details. (Memo to crooks: Fleeing through blackberry bushes is rough going, and hiding in a honeybucket is just going to get you teased in jail.)

Come out with your hands - and your pants - up!



But it's the last of these three stories that actually contains what I think is the most frightening detail. Here you've got a guy, Joshua Michael Wilson-Wedding, with a dozen aliases, with multiple prior felony convictions, wanted on multiple warrants, who's a sex offender who has failed to register...And he's not only running around downtown Port Angeles with a gun in his backpack, but also...

Police said they were tipped that Wilson-Wedding was in an apartment at the Lee Plaza trying to sell a gun. Sgt. Jason Viada, who was on downtown foot patrol, went to the apartments at 112 W. First St. and spotted a man running north across First St...

Wilson-Wedding ignored Viada's commands to stop, and "manipulated" his backpack, according to the arrest narrative. "I was concerned that he was going to pull the gun out of his pack and shoot me," Viada wrote. "I drew my sidearm as I continued to pursue."

Well, that's one way to get some foot traffic to downtown Port Angeles. But I think most of you would agree that it's not exactly the most desirable kind of foot traffic to have.

But let's remember...The same remoteness, the same lack of oversightness that makes Port Angeles such an attractive place for ambitious scumbags to hide out (think Karen Rogers and her icky ilk), also makes it an attractive place for less polished, more violent people on the run to hang out. Or, putting it another way, the lawlessness at the top of the heap in Clallam County only enables and encourages lawlessness further down the food chain.

Bulldog or Batshit?

First and foremost: It's a given that County Administrator Jim Jones is slimy. Reptilian. Self-serving. He's a big creep. There's no doubt about that. He'll do what it takes to protect Jim Jones, no matter how unethical or illegal.

But, even with that being so, I have to ask the question: Is the County Treasurer, Selinda Barkhuis, off her meds and out of her mind with this feud with Jim Jones? Or is she on to something? Is she a tenacious bulldog for justice and transparency? Or is she just batshit crazy? With all the allegations and moving parts, it's hard to tell - even with Jones being a well-established pocket-lining goon.

And speaking of being of their meds...Here's an article that centers on the Barkhuis/Jones "he said, she said" clusterfuck, and once again, what photo does the PDN use? The good old Peachmug Teaser! Yes, Bill Peach is mentioned in the article, but the article isn't about Bill Peach. Yet there he is - again. Commissioner Peachmug. Weird choice, PDN.



Cherie's Trump Card

In the twisted spirit of both Jim McEntire (certified friend of Jesus) and Donald Trump (certified lunatic liar - and late-blooming friend of Jesus), Cherie Kidd is attempting to seem contrite when she is clearly not, and is trying to create the impression of an apology, without actually apologizing.

The lie is right there in the PDN's headline: Cherie Kidd on Feb. 2 Council meeting: "I have learned from this experience"

The problem with that notion being that, as we have all observed and learned from years of bitter experience, Cherie Kidd is totally incapable of learning. Her clock is stopped, her cake is baked. There's no alterations or substitutions allowed. She is what she is, darn it.

And what she is is a hypocritical idiot.

Deputy Mayor Cherie Kidd stepped back from staunchly defending her decision to abruptly gavel a February 2nd meeting to a halt, saying she has learned from the experience, but stopping short of an outright apology.

On Tuesday, Kidd retreated from her statement following the ethics board's decision that she "acted properly" at the February 2nd meeting. She read a prepared statement...saying she wanted "to take this opportunity to report to the council" that she ran the February 2nd meeting according to state law, Robert's Rules of Order, the council rules of procedure and Association of Washington Cities guidelines.

"As my dear mother used to say, we do the best we can with what we know at the time, and I led that meeting to the best of my ability," she said.

Yes, as always, she looks sorry, but does she

look apologetic or embarrassed? No, she does not.

She is staring daggers.



So, yeah, that's pretty far from an apology. She's essentially saying she was right, her critics are wrong, and if they don't like it, take it up with Robert's Rules and the AWC, because, darn it, she did the best she could.

What she clearly STILL doesn't realize is that her best was, to say the least, woefully inadequate, rude, and totally counterproductive. And by making such a statement in this way - as a stand-alone, no questions asked statement, talking at the Council, rather than talking with her fellow Council members - all she managed to do was display the exact same arrogance and cluelessness that caused the trouble in the first place. "I was right, I still am right, my mommy says I'm right, end of story."

And in classic fashion...Kidd did not return repeated calls for comment Wednesday.

Jesus Wept...Then Bitch-Slapped Jim McEntire

OH, PLEASE!

I wasn't going to have a whole topic devoted to the whole Gabe Rygaard death thing. His passing is just a passing thing. But then I saw the official quote from Dim (Former) King Jim in the PDN's latest milk-it-for-all-it's-worth article on the subject...

"I was just shocked and devastated. It was terrible to think my friend Gabe is gone. I just feel so bad for his family. Gabe had a close relationship with his savior, Jesus Christ, so I am not worried about Gabe..."

Spoken like the true lying, self-serving sociopathic yahoo he is.

First, Jim McEntire isn't the kind of guy to have friends. He has cohorts, co-conspirators, temporary allies. He's a lean, mean pocket-lining machine, and there's no place in your heart or life for sentimentality when that's your modus operandi. With that in mind, his concerns for Rygaard's family also ring false, fake, so much flummery.

And for Jim McEntire to talk about Jesus Christ...His idea of Christian charity is to rip off Peter and Paul. He's one of the least spiritual people I have ever had the displeasure to be around. Do reptiles have souls? I don't know for sure, but if Jim McEntire (sleazeball, crook, liar and now world-class hypocrite) does have one, it's doubtlessly a tiny, black, sulfurous thing.

Hey, Jim...How about a hot cup of this?



Ah, but the words coming out of his fork-tongued mouth will be warmly received, and their sincerity not questioned. So many windbags in Clallam County get a free pass that way. (Just like Trump too often gets a free pass on a much larger level.) But I just couldn't let this one go without calling bullshit on Jim McEntire's so-called sympathy. He's dead inside, and he sure as hell isn't sorry that there's one less fat, right-wing fool in Clallam County. It just means less competition for him.