Lew Williams III

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, January 2020; written by Lisa Pearson.

As a librarian, I have a tendency to try and tie things together with books. I truly feel that every event, problem, interest, and emotion is reflected in a book somewhere out there on a shelf. Hopefully, it’s on a shelf at the Ketchikan Public Library. When I heard that Lew Williams III had passed away, I started thinking about him and the impact that his life and work had on our town, and specific titles came to mind. Lew was always a good friend to the library and valued the role the library played in the community, so it seems only fitting to dedicate this column to his memory.

“Storm Lake: a chronicle of change, resilience, and hope from a heartland newspaper” is a new book by Art Cullen. Cullen is the editor of The Storm Lake Times and won a Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for his editorial writing. The majority of the book deals with the way the small Iowa community of Storm Lake has dealt with change: changing industries, changing demographics, and changing climate. As a regular stop on the Iowa campaign trail, the residents of Storm Lake have rubbed elbows with the powerful more frequently than we have, but in many ways their small town mirrors our own. They adapt, they welcome new residents, and they work together to fix problems. The town also has a family-run newspaper dedicated to local news. Cullen’s brother is the publisher, his son is a reporter, and the chapter “The newspaper is the family” is a great description of the way the family has worked together – often late into the night – to keep the paper afloat. The multi-generation involvement of the Williams family with the Ketchikan Daily News is mentioned in “Bent pins to chains: Alaska and its newspapers” by Evangeline Atwood and Lew Williams Jr.

Lew graduated from Ketchikan High School in 1976, and was a loyal supporter of Kayhi sports. I would often see him at games, cheering on the Kings. He would also highlight the successes of academic and athletic teams during City Council meetings. The role of youth sports in a community – and the important ways a community fosters good athletes – is the focus of “Norwich: one tiny Vermont town’s secret to happiness and excellence” by Karen Crouse. Norwich has a population of less than 3,500 people, but it has produced 11 Olympic athletes. The fact that the town is located directly across the state line from Dartmouth College accounts for the economic and academic advantages enjoyed by its residents. But according to Crouse, the real reason that the kids excel can be attributed to 3 things: the entire community celebrates when kids do well; kids play a variety of sports and don’t get cut from teams because of their skill level; and a lack of over-protective, over-scheduled helicopter parenting allows kids to take chances, learn from mistakes, and develop self-assurance. Lew encouraged the youth in Ketchikan to be confident, and when my young son went to a City Council meeting with a question, Lew made sure he got an answer.

Mayor Williams – like his father Lew Williams, Jr. – devoted a lot of his time to local governance. An 8-term member of the City Council (with 8 of those years serving as Mayor), Lew was a great example of civic responsibility and service to the community. For anyone interested in running for local office, I recommend “The campaign manager: running and winning local elections” by Catherine Shaw. From putting together ad campaigns and preparing for debates to such mundane tasks as removing lawn signs efficiently after the election is over, Shaw covers all the topics a candidate needs to know. She gives advice for quick fundraising, organizing volunteers, improving your public speaking skills, and avoiding the pitfalls of negative campaigns. Political affiliation is nowhere near as important on the municipal level as a real desire to help the community thrive, and Lew spent countless hours in the City Council chambers helping Ketchikan weather various storms.

It says a lot about someone’s life that they can be reflected in such a wide range of titles. Think about the people in your life; what books do you think would best represent them? Thank you, Lew, for your work here in our community.