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By BRENDA TABOR of the Union- Bulletin MILTON-FREEWATER — While Milton-Freewater merchants fear the effects of a Stateline Grange boycott, City Councilman Herb Saager is taking steps to defuse the protest. Saager said Saturday he will ask the council to reconsider an ordinance that bars rural residents from serving on the Planning Commission. Sanger said he will make the request at the next council meeting March 26. Wednesday, the Stateline Grange called on all rural residents to boycott Milton-Freewater merchants until the council rescinds the new or dinance. The Grange action came just two days after the ordinance was enacted. It is intended to “bring home’’ Grange members’ dissatisfaction with the new plan. The ordinance was approved in a 3 1 vote. Councilman Don Maughan was the sole opponent of the measure. Councilmen Richard Kolberg, Ray Harrison and Bob McLaughlin voted for the ordinance. If the council reconsiders the measure, pressure applied after the boycott announcement could affect the outcome. Sanger said he believes the council has an obligation to act according to the wishes of a majority of the people. But he said he doesn't want to see any recall moves or resignations result from the controversy. ‘That won't accomplish anything,” Sanger said. The new ordinance requires that all 10 planning commissioners live inside the city limits, with two appointed from each city council ward. Under the previous ordinance, two of nine commission members were allowed to live outside the city limits. Merchants are watching the situation with a wary eye — hoping it can be smoothed over in the early stages. All merchants polled by the Union- Bulletin disagreed with the council’s action. Some protested saying they were being used as a whipping dog for the city. But other merchants said local residents took the only avenue open to them. ‘I don’t feel the Grange is out of bounds. I don’t feel they’ve gone overboard,”’ said John Carter, owner of J.F. Carter Children’s Clothing, 517 N. Main. “If the City Council doesn’t consider it important enough to have rural residents represented (on the Planning Commission), then it’s time for those councilmen to step down.’ “I don’t agree with the Grange tactics. But I don’t see any other way Related editorial, page 34 that the people out of town can have a say. This is their way of saying, ‘Listen to us’,’”’ said Planning Com mission Chairman Jim Burns. Burns operates a business in town. He recently moved outside the city limits and must vacate his post according to the new ordinance. “I have tried to stay out because I am not the issue. The issue is people in town have to realize that rural residents have been browbeaten.”’ Burns says he does not feel the or dinance was directed against him. Sanger, who operates Sanger’s Shoe Store at 613 N. Main, has ties with the business community as well as city government. He had asked the council not to vote on the commission reorganization in his absence. ‘I think I have more exposure to people than any other councilman and I’ve had a ton of people tell me it’s wrong and no one tell me it’s right,” Sanger said. “I said this was going to happen. I predicted it would make people outside town unhappy. I’m sure business people are concerned. That’s our lifeblood out there. You can’t do things without considering those people. You take little ripples — they make big waves and it takes years to heal the problem. I realize that as a councilman, I can't let business in fluence decisions. But fair is fair, right is right, and wrong is wrong,’ Sanger said. Councilman Richard Kolberg said the reason for the change is ‘‘very simple.” “Every political subdivision has voting requirements as to residency,” he said, explaining that the ordinance would bring the city into line with this requirement. Kolberg said the decision wasn’t his alone. “It took a majority of the council,” he said. The Milton-Freewater Chamber of Commerce has called a_ special meeting for noon Monday at Wong's Restaurant, 14 N. Columbia St. Kolberg said he will not be able to attend that meeting, but had agreed to meet with a delegation at a later time. One North Main Street merchant said a boycott would top a winter of bad business with another setback. “I think it’s too bad. People who live out of town should have something to say about what goes on here. We've done a lot of work. We've really worked to get people to ‘Shop Milton-Freewater,’ to get them to check here before they go out of town. Other merchants disagreed with the Grange’s tactics. “I think it’s stupid,” said one merchant. “What has the Grange done about this except get mad. In stead of arguing back and forth among themselves, they should do something.”’ But the merchant declined to be identified, saying that would hurt business. Jim McWilliams, owner of Mc Williams Family Store, 504 N. Main St., is a member of the Planning Commission. We (Planning Commission members) all voiced an opinion against the change, but it didn’t do any good,’’ McWilliams said. I don't know why the Grange would take it out on the merchants. We aren't any different than them. People out there ought to have a say in what goes on. It’s their town too.” “I don’t think it’s fair that the Stateline Grange boycott us,’ Harold Visser, manager of Auto Supply Inc., 1105 S. Main, said. ‘‘No one asked me if people from outside the city should serve on the Planning Commission. ‘If the boycott got serious, I'd sure let them know I didn’t like it. I'd suggest they go to the council meetings instead of starting a blanket boycott.” But some merchants said they understand the sentiment behind the boycott. “I can’t blame them,”’ said Susan Riley, manager of J.F. Carter Children’s Clothing. ‘I can’t go along with the City Council's action. I would think that they'd want to reverse it. It’s not fair for us to lose business.” Shamrock search Four-year-old twins Jacob, left, and Anthony Riggs reach for a paper Shamrock that earned them free drinks of St. Patrick’s Day punch Saturday at the Walla Walla Library. Heidi Howerton, 11, surveys the doubled-handed effort.
Newspaper Details
Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla, Washington, US
Sun, Mar 18, 1979
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Heidi S.
USA 24 May 2026
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