Walla Walla's Walsh Makes News Again

Even after it's emergence as a premier wine destination, it's extremely rare for my hometown of Walla Walla or it's politicians to make national news.  However, Republican Senator Maureen Walsh has done this twice  with her speeches.
Walsh made headlines this past week with a speech in support of an amendment to a bill that intended to shorten hours and mandate breaks for nurses in the state.  Walsh said that nurses in smaller hospitals get breaks where they probably spend a considerable amount of the day playing cards.
Social media picked up on that phrase and before you know it, it spread throughout the country.
The backlash from her remarks were considerable, as shown above, her office received about 1700 decks of playing cards.  On a more serious side, an online petition received about  750 thousand signatures to have her "shadow" a nurse to see how they spend their days.
A few days later, she apologized for making the remark.
In 2012,  Walsh first got national attention as a member of the state house of representatives.  Her folksy speech supporting marriage equality.  The fact that she bucked her own party, made her popular with many Democrats and progressive minded people.

Senator Walsh Will Not Run

One of  Washington's most colorful politicians, Republican Senator Maureen Walsh, has announced that she will not seek a second term in the state senate for the 16th District.  

Walsh, from Walla Walla, started her elected career in the house in 2005.  She had previously been a legislative aide.  

Walla Walla had not received much national notice until her viral video on marriage equality.  It earned her affection from across the aisle and nationwide.  

A second speech on the floor as a senator last spring would also go viral, this time angering many groups by suggesting nurses spend too much time playing cards.  She was actually advocating against shift limits for staffing smaller emergency hospitals. 

Walla Walla Legislator Goes Viral

This speech, in favor of marriage equality, earned Washington 16th District Republican Maureen Walsh, of Walla Walla, a visit with Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC's "The Last Word".  The video of her speech was picked up by Buzzfeed, and now has well over one million hits.  With humility and homespun humor, Walsh compared Domestic Partnerships to the "Merry Maids Franchise"

Walla Walla Has New Controversy--A Policeman's Tattoo

Walla Walla in some ways, has not changed since I left in 1989. It has become a destination wine producing area, which up until this year's Corona invasion, had developed a robust tourist industry.    The majority of residents, however, seem to enjoy the slow pace, wanting to keep far away from the rush of big city life.  

So, once again, in a short amount of time, the city finds itself being a center of attention for all the wrong reasons. 

About a year ago, Senator Maureen Walsh, now retiring, commented that nurses spend their breaks playing cards.  The fall out included Walsh receiving thousands of decks of playing cards.

Now another event in the town has blossomed on social media.  Earlier this year, reports of vandalism occurred at the Walla Walla shul, Congregation Beth Israel.  A Go Fund Me page raised over 5 thousand dollars from the community and beyond. 

Then, last month, there was talk of COVID  Parties, where residents were said to be trying to contact the disease in an attempt to build up immunity.  County health officials would later say that it was an exaggeration or something to that effect. 

But now there is a story with a different twist,  The Times Of Israel has run a story of  a Walla Walla police officer with a tattoo similar to the Nazi SS symbols

The tattoo according to Officer Nat Small, the officer involved, was to honor a colleague killed in a sniper attack during the war in Afghanistan.   The symbols was used by the special forces unit that Small served with.  The use of the symbol for that unit ended with intervention in 2012.   

Congregation Beth Israel has written a letter to the editor asking for apology from the department and the officer, while the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has threatened a lawsuit if the tattoo is not removed or altered and the officer is still with the force. 

Because of the controversy, Whitman College has announce it is ending its relationship with the Walla Walla Police Department, immediately.   It will no longer hire off duty officers to provide security at events and members of the force are barred from using the fitness center on the campus.  

Walla Walla police chief Scott Bieber has stirred controversy, defending the officer at a rally.

By most accounts, Small is not a bad cop, and a pleasant person, his tattoo however has put the town between a rock and a hard place and can be costly to the community in many ways.  At the time, there is no telling when and how this can be resolved.

Walla Walla Sweet Is Now State Vegetable

Walla Walla, home to three college, the state pen, dozens of wineries has something new to hang it's hat on, Washington Governor Gregoire has signed a bill making the Walla Walla Sweet Onion the state vegetable. The idea was conceived in a Kirkland Jr. High classroom across the state from Walla Walla a couple years ago. The idea snowballed into it reached Olympia and met resistance from the state potato lobby. This year, the bill was revived by Walla Walla Republican Maureen Walsh of Walla Walla. With bi-partisan support, it passed the house unanimously and the senate by a 45-3 vote. In my opinion, it shows that there is now a reason that people from Walla Walla to vote for a Democrat. Walla Walla is considered a very Conservative town. Both houses of the legislature have a Democratic majority.

Here is a recipe using the Walla Walla Onion