Christmas Memories

As Christmas draws near I am thinking of a past Christmas that my wife and I enjoyed with other Register-Guard colleagues sometime in the mid-1960s.  We and many others were invited to a party hosted by political reporter Dan Sellard, and his wife. Dan said at the time there might be a “special guest” attending also.  

The night of the party it  was typical December weather,  rain and chilly, but it didn’t detract from the cheerful gathering and generous hospitality of the Sellards.

Everyone was having a great time when later in the evening the door belll rang and when the door was opened, in walked then governor Mark Hatfield, followed by his state trooper driver.  I have no idea where the governor had been before the party but he was in a jovial mood and settled right in. At some point I talked with his driver, and asked what he and the governor talked about during their many hours together as they traveled around the state.  “We pray a lot,” he said. 

It has been many decades since I was at the R-G. My tenure was 1962-1967.  I opened, and staffed the Oakridge News Bureau. I also was on the County Desk for a year more and then on the  Springfield beat.  Left for the San Diego Evening Tribune in 1967.

— Mike Richmond