Journalism has seen its share of notable reporters and columnists who have enjoyed very long and rewarding careers, from legendary White House reporter Helen Thomas to retired Olympia scribe Adele Ferguson to our very own Dave Ammons, formerly of the Associated Press.

There is such a revered figure in the north-central Washington town of Omak: Elizabeth Widel has worked at the Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle for 55 years. For 52 years, her “Exploring the Okanogan” column  has provided unique perspectives on that part of Washington. She’s written more than 2,500 of them! Widel also is a proofreader and typesetter at the newspaper. Very few people, if any, can claim such longevity at one paper.

Last week, Secretary of State Sam Reed had the special honor of meeting Widel while in Omak for an interview at the Chronicle during his extensive tour of Eastern Washington. Chronicle editor Dee Camp said Widel, who recently turned 92, is sharp as a tack. “She has that wonderful institutional knowledge about the paper and community, and is greatly interested in geology, waterfalls, mountains and weather.”

Other highlights of the five-day, 1,200-mile trip included Sam going to Pullman to talk about the Washington State Heritage Center project, giving the keynote address at the International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Elections Officials & Treasurers (IACREOT) Annual Conference in Spokane; and visiting the county seats in Pend Oreille (Newport), Stevens (Colville), Ferry (Republic) and Okanogan (Okanogan) counties. During these stops, Sam visited county courthouses, met with local officials and other community members, did interviews with local newspapers and a radio station, and toured museums and libraries.         

One of Sam’s top priorities as Secretary of State is to visit each of Washington’s 39 counties so he can meet with people who live there, hear their concerns and ideas, and learn more about what’s happening. He has visited 28 counties so far this year.