Longtime Waitsburg resident and current Community Service Award (formerly called Citizen of the Year) recipient Kate Hockersmith, will make her first-time bid for a council seat this year.

Hockersmith moved to Waitsburg with her husband, Eric, in 1992, and the couple raised their two sons here.

"I have fundraising, marketing, organizational skills, and work well with others, seeking collaboration rather than confrontation," Hockersmith said, when asked what she brings to the council table.

Hockersmith served as the Waitsburg Coop Preschool teacher and Parent Coordinator for Walla Walla Communi...