The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1948-09-09
AS Ie11plls F4gits !.
BY HAL CLARK

It's quite important to me that, |
as nearly as I can tell, he's still
growing with the times and the
city and the county.
I'm pretty sure that about now
someone is going to say that I'm
making a political pitch for Al
Anon. All can do to deny the
charge is to say that the fact
that he is a candidate for office is
that he is a candidate for office
just happens to be part of the
knowledge I have Of him. That's
all I'm going to say about it, and
wouldn't say that If I didn't
want to at least try to explain
my motive to you.
don't know how many years
ago it was-but it was a long
time-that Al Anon was presi-
dent of the old Rodeo Association.
In that capacity, he bought ten
acres Of land, just south of the
present grade school playground.
for rodeo purposes for SOS.
He was going to buy the entire
plot, running south to Tenth
Avenue for $500, but some of
the more conservative heads Of
the town convinced him that 1t
would be pure folly to pay any
thing for "that worthless sand"
This morning, I walked over
that worthless piece Of desert.
Part of it is now owned by
Observation-Disclosures, Inc
Of Seattle. and Arbor Homes,
Inc. u constructing 1856 homes
n it. TIER first group of IA
homes will be ready for families
BY October I. Their present plans
| are to build less expensive homes
on the remainder of the devel-
opment-homes that will sell for
lower prices, with lower down
payments.
It's revealing no trade secret
to tell you that Nettleton; Baldwin
and Anderson could easily gather
q round their conference table
and gnash their teeth as one man
at the thoupht of what they paid
for that worthless sand" as
compared to either $65 or $500.
AL got mixed up in that deal
as the chairman Of the Mayors
Committee for a thousand new
homes. And, by the way, it APP
pears certain that that proud
boast that Kennewick could build
thousand new homes in a year
| is going to be fulfilled. Not be-
cause of the housing committee,
but because lot of fine citi-
zens, with q lot Of fine faith In
the future, knuckled in to relieve
the housing shortage.
They played their part and the
housing committee played Its
part; but all together they got
a great Job done. incidentally, the
lob was done throughout with
private enterprise. It didn't take
any government subsidies to ac-
complish It. I think that's worthy
Of national attention, because
the housing shortage Is nation
wide, and Kennewicl has writ
! ten record that ought to stand
| up with the best Of them.
AL also got mixed up In q
three-way deal that involved
trading Rodeo Association proper
! ty for school property and school
property for city property, and
somethin' else here and some
thin else there. Anyhow, when
the dust settled It wound up with
the school having q location for
a new Senior High school: the
city having q new park; and the
Hospital Association having q site
for q Kennewick hospital The
Ipdeo Association didn't have
anything, but It's been dead for
a long time anyhow.
He's mixed up, too, AZ q direc-
tor Of the Kennewick Port Dis
trict, where considerable events
ara going to take place In the
future.
He's involved in the Kennewick
Public Housing Authority.
I'm scared to even ask him
what else he's mixed up in. This
column Is already getting toe
long, and he'd be sure to re-
member forty-1even other thing.
he's either done, or is doing.
| The long and short of It Is thai
he's just been jumping around
too fast for too many years (ant
he's still doing It'd for me to write
him down on paper.
All the way, he's had his owr
unique brand Of humor to helr
him through the tight spots.
He left the Chamber Of Com.
merce meeting late on the day
Democrat Mon c. Wallgren and
here. Oscar Lantor had already
gone out, taking AIS hat by mis-.
take and leaving his own, which
turned out 10 be q quarter size
too small for the Anon head.
Coming up to q group Of citizens
in front Of the Arrow Grill. Al had
his own pronoumcement all work
ed out. 81 tried TO tell 'em these
al - - "A y q