Bulletin column Dec. 3

Three trees sit in the back room at The Center, among them the Colfax Arts Council tree which features photos of the Main Street banner contest which will be revived next year. See story below.

These reports are from the previous two issues of the Daily Bulletin in Colfax. They are reprinted here for the benefit of Gazette readers who reside outside of Colfax. Some accounts have been updated.

THREE

ACCIDENTS

IN 195 BACKUP

Washington State Troopers Sunday responded to three accidents on Highway 195 which were related to a long line of traffic congestion in the southbound lane of Highway 195. Troopers reported traffic was backed up as drivers waited to make a left turn into Pullman. Two rear-end accidents were reported at 5:35 p.m. None involved injuries.

In a rear-end collision 11.2 miles south of Colfax, Alexandrea Nebeker, Lewiston, was unhurt when the 2005 Nissan Altima she was driving collided with the back of a vehicle which was at the end of the long line of vehicles waiting to make a left turn into Pullman. The report said Nebeker failed to slow in time to avoid hitting the vehicle that had stopped in front of her. The other vehicle in the accident left the scene.

A 2000 Honda Civic driven by Ashley Wells, Orting, hit the back of a 1999 Toyota Camry driven by Yu S. Cheung, Pullman, at the same time in the same long line of cars. The Well-Cheung collision was three miles closer to Pullman at mile 22.9. The report said Wells failed to stop in time to avoid hitting the back of the Camry which was pushed into a vehicle that had been stopped in front of it in the long line. The lead vehicle in the three-car collision also left the scene.

A third rear-end collision was reported at 7:05 p.m. and also involved congestion with the long line of cars headed southbound Sunday night. According to the WSP report, Yve W. Wright, driving a 2007 Lexus, failed to stop in time to avoid hitting the rear of a 2004 Ford Taurus which had slowed down for the congestion at 10.1 miles south of Colfax.

CIVIL SUIT FILED AGAINST MALDEN

A civil suit was filed Nov. 24 in superior court against the town of Malden and former Malden Mayor C.E. Ted Maxwell. The plaintiff, Colleen Cross, alleged wrongful refusal of service for water connection and wrongful discontinuance of service and seeks $583 in reimbursement for funds paid on the bill. It also listed a charge of extortion.

According to the complaint, the dispute involves obtaining a water hookup for a house which Cross had purchased in the 400 block of NE Broadway. The house purchase closed Nov. 6, 2012, and Cross alleged the town of Malden failed to respond to her request for a final billing due on water service for the residence, and the failure to respond, under state law, extinguishes an unrecorded lien on the house. The suit contends "extortion tactics" were used by the town to collect a sum which was eventually made in payments by a house sitter at the residence from Nov. 27, 2012 to March 4, 2013.

The suit alleges at one point Cross was informed that the water meter had been removed from the residence. It also alleged that after the meter was determined to be at the residence Maxwell came to the house and removed it.

Cross was allowed a waiver of civil fees in filing the suit.

The filing included a summons demanding a response within 20 days.

ALLEGED ASSAULT WITH JEEP

A charge of second degree assault was filed Monday in superior court against Lorraine Lasko, 28, Pullman. She has been charged with committing assault with a Jeep Compass in a parking lot in Pullman on Oct. 28. According to the Pullman Police report, Lasko was reported to have had an ongoing dispute with the victim. The report said she was observed driving the Jeep out of an apartment complex lot and around the corner to where the alleged victim had been standing. The Jeep reportedly went over a curb and into the lot. It alleged the victim had to dodge out of the way of the jeep which was driven by Lasko.

She has been summoned to appear in court Dec. 18.

THREE HURT

AT LACROSSE

Three people were transported by ambulances to Whitman Hospital and Medical Center Sunday night from the scene of a car-van collision on Highway 26 at the Scott Road intersection. Two ambulances were dispatched to the scene from Colfax.

According to the Washington State Patrol report, January J. Pietila was driving a 2012 Chrysler 200 eastbound on Highway 26 at 6:25 p.m. and attempting a left turn onto Scott Road, the entry into LaCrosse.

Khristopher R. Barr, Seattle, was driving a 2003 Ford Windstar eastbound and attempted a pass through the intersection. The van struck the left rear of the Chrysler.

Pietila, who is the spouse of LaCrosse principal Jeff Pietila, and two passengers in the Windstar, Christina Park, Pullman, and Jessica Bryan, Seattle, were listed as injured in the WSP report.

FIRST TREE

FEATURES

BANNER ART

The first tree for the Winter Festival at The Center is an entry by the Colfax Arts Council which features miniature photos of the council's Main Street banner contest which ran for six years. The banner contest began in 2008 and drew 10 to 12 entries each year through 2014. Each year the council photographed the banners. All the pictures were reduced to tag size, laminated and fitted with ribbons to hang on the Christmas tree now on display in the front window of The Center. The project was done by Lannette Ring at Abundant Faith Studio in Colfax.

The Center will be open Thursday from 3-6 p.m. for Santa's visit and voting for the entries in the tree decorating contest and vendor sales.

Arts Council members had photos of some of the banners on display at the Center during at Customer Appreciation night.

The Arts Council plans to conduct the poster contest again next year.

NOVEMBER RAINS SHORT

After a promising start over its first 10 days, November actually finished with below normal precipitation by .36 inches. Rainfall early in the month gave a big boost to fall crops, but the precipitation run faded in the last half of the month. The NRCS gauge here logged just four days of precipitation in the last half of November.

November's total finished at 2.19 inches compared to a 2.55 normal. The month follows a .34 total for October for a 2.53 for the first two months of the crop year. The two-month total compares with a normal of 3.75 inches for the first two months of the crop year.

November's rain log included .59 on Nov. 2, .34 on Nov. 6, . 61 on Nov. 9, .18 on Nov. 10, .03 on Nov. 12, .07 on Nov. 13, .05 on Nov. 16, .07 on Nov. 17 and .25 on Nov. 25.

WINTER

DRIVING

ACCCIDENT

Ruth E. Finley, Potlatch, was unhurt Nov. 24 when she lost control of the 2003 Buick Park Avenue she was driving 3.1 miles east of Palouse. According to the Washington State Patrol report, she was driving westbound in snowing conditions and lost control of the sedan in snow and slush on a curve. The car went into the westbound shoulder and went town an embankment, coming to a stop on its wheels.

WINE TASTING EVENT FOR THE CENTER

A three-day beer andwine tasting event sponsored by the Colfax Downtown Association will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 213 N. Main as part of Winterfest. Hours will be from 2 to 9 p.m. each day. Members of the association will sell wines from Merry Cellars and beers from Paradise Creek Brewery. All sales will benefit projects of the association including completion of the Bettie Steiger Community Enrichment Center, according to Kimberly DeHart, president of the association.

In addition to the beer and wine tasting, several of vendors will be at the site. Among the vendors will be Shellie Ochs with her western paintings and Embellish-it, the t-shirt and custom gift shop at 213 N. Main.