Letter Response

I'd like to take the opportunity to respond to a letter I received this week and hopefully clarify my mission and purpose for writing this column.

The letter expressed concern that I have indicated a reluctance to explore Waterville assets such as the ski hill, grocery store, and restaurant options. This is certainly not the case, and I truly hope that nobody else has interpreted any of my column articles in that way.

First of all, for those of you who may be new to my column, I am writing from the perspective of someone who is living in a small town for the first time. One who never thought she'd move to a town so small and who brought with her many preconceived notions and misconceptions about small-town life.

Since moving to Waterville more than three years ago, I've developed a pride in this town and my hope is that, through this column, I can share with the locals my experiences and discoveries in a humorous way, while breaking down the assumptions and stereotypes, which I once held, for the benefit of readers living outside of Waterville.

In my article about the Waterville Family Grocer, I described how, at first, we avoided the store, having made poor assumptions based on small-town stereotypes, but we discovered that it was a actually a really great place to shop. Adam and I shop there frequently because it has just about everything we need and we love the fact that it is so close to home.

In my article about the Badger Mountain Ski hill, I expressed a fear of getting on skis after so many years, which is the primary reason I have avoided any and all ski areas. The intent of the article was to highlight the fact that we have such a fun recreational opportunity so close to home and to lament the fact that I've waited so long to try it out.

I've only written about one dining experience, the Shell Station, but that's not the only great restaurant meal we've enjoyed here in Waterville. Rest assured, there are more eating stories to be told.

There are so many things I have yet to discover about Waterville, not because I am reluctant to get involved or hesitant to support local business, but rather because of time restrictions. We live in Waterville but work in Wenatchee. We wake at 3am and try to be in bed by 7pm.

Nevertheless, I'll continue to write about my experiences and musings as I have them and I'll do my best to represent Waterville well. If you are a new "New Local" reader, I invite you to visit my blog and read about my journey from the beginning.