12/19/2007: "Still No Judge, But We Do Have A Poet!"

Wednesday, 2:15 P.M. Gov. Chris Gregoire has yet to announce who San Juan County’s new Superior Court Judge will be, but she has announced that she has named Waldron resident Samuel Green as the Washington State Poet Laureate, a position established by the Legislature this year to build awareness and appreciation of poetry across the state.

The lack of action in appointing a judge has many observers wondering why it is taking her so long to decide who to choose. After all, there are only two choices, attorney John Linde, a former judge, and Randy Gaylord, the current Prosecuting Attorney for the County, so how difficult can that be?

The delay is having, and will have, an impact on the offices of both Gaylord and Linde,. since both offices are going to be thrown into some turmoil once a decision has been made, and the impact can send ripples throughout the county.

If the choice is Gaylord, a new Prosecuting Attorney is going to have to be found, and quickly. As for Linde, he too will have to move quickly to bring an entire office under new control.

For both offices there is the question of what the impact will be on staff and ongoing legal cases and related issues, and of course the Superior Court clerk and staff will be impacted to some degree, no matter who is selected.

A call to Gregoire’s office failed to provide any information on when an appointment will be made, but the clock is ticking, and time is running out.

So what about this poet?

(continued from front page)

“I am pleased to name Samuel Green as Washington’s first State Poet Laureate,” said Gov. Gregoire. “Not only will he encourage people across our state to learn about and appreciate poetry, his appointment to this position will honor the important role that poetry and poets have played in Washington’s creative culture.”

Green is a native of Washington and lives onWaldron Island. A distinguished poet and author of ten poetry collections, including his soon to be released book, The Grace of Necessity (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2008), his work has appeared in numerous publications.

For more than thirty years, he has served as editor of a small press focusing on the work of Washington poets. Green has served as a visiting poet in a wide range of settings, including universities, public schools, libraries, mental health centers, correctional facilities and poetry festivals.

The culmination of a multi-year effort, the establishment of a Washington State Poet Laureate was lead by Rep. Mary Skinner and Rep. Lynn Kessler and supported by a partnership of the Washington State Arts Commission, Humanities Washington and the Washington Poet's Association. The Poet Laureate bill was passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Gregoire in April 2007.

“He is a wonderful poet,” said Kris Tucker, Executive Director of the Washington State Arts Commission. “Sam’s passion for poetry is contagious and he will share his enthusiasm with people across the state.”

The State Poet Laureate will serve a two-year term and build awareness and appreciation of poetry through public readings, workshops, lectures, and presentations in communities, schools, colleges, universities and other public settings in geographically diverse areas of the state.