About 22 years ago before a local election day, The New York Times wrote for dot-com readers that we were 50 miles from Canada by map. And 100 miles from the Oregon Coast.

The headline: “Islanders just want to be left alone.” The subhead: “They may form their own city to keep Seattle sprawl from ruining their haven.”

Most of us shuddered at how weird was the sudden copy about us being alone in our potholes haven and failing roads. It turned out from our local WikiLeaks 24 hours later that the Times reporter was dating an islander and got to feeling romantic. The headline meant we were beset with many sellers and buyers. This was only half-right.

Some feared that we elected amateurs who would be learning too much on the job to know how to fix things. As newspaper cartoon artist’s Walt Kelly character Pogo may have said about us, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

So, come this Saturday at 9 a.m. to the non-partisan public candidates’ workshop at the Bainbridge Commons. Learn otherwise, or prove it doesn’t make a difference in our elections this year how much we have to learn. Contested race sign-ups occur June 6-10.

R.O. Conoley

Sunrise Drive