A sad moment in the history of our community is occurring if the printed editions of the Enumclaw Courier – Herald ceases. Since 1900 the city has had a printed form of local news that kept citizens informed. Yes, many people now obtain that news electronically, however there is something to be said about holding that paper and reading it at the kitchen table with a coffee nearby.  A smartphone cannot duplicate this experience. Call it a generational thing but I would miss having the paper in hand. Affecting the Courier Herald is the fact that the need to advertise has declined as many businesses struggle with shutdowns, and families are not able to go out and shop at our area businesses. My hope is it will return in a printed form.

The rapid spread of both the COVID virus and how it affected our local economy came about in the blink of an eye.  The state had to put in place various restrictions limiting gatherings of people in public, which restricted our restaurants to take-out only and reduced customers for several of our retail stores. Many families started to shelter in place even before Governor Inslee issued his Stay at Home Declaration. This tsunami of events has taken its toll on many families and businesses. Everyone hopes for a quick solution so this can become a short term event and we can begin to return to what each of us enjoy in our daily life.

Throughout this challenging period the city with its incredible staff and departmental leadership has kept our community operating. I want to thank each of them for continuing to display the determination shown during these unprecedented times, which has kept everything functioning seamlessly. 

Additionally, I would like to share a quote which I feel is relevant to how the city and residents should view our future post- COVID.

“All the greatest things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honor; duty; mercy; hope.” - Winston Churchill

With hope we as a community can come through this COVID crisis stronger and as a community we will have a shared experienced that will provide us with a common bond for the future.

Keep confident, help your neighbor, maintain your health.