Journalism, like so many things in life, is the art of the possible. We do the best we can in the time allowed with the resources at our disposal, and then we move on.

This week I’ve been trying to write a story about that great big totem pole on John Day’s Main Street, but I’ve run into a hitch: I’ve had a hard time tracking down information about the history of the thing.

Ralph White, the chainsaw artist who carved the totem pole back in 1995, is dead now, as is Raymond Burke, the Umatilla chief who dedicated it. I’ve been unable to track down Ray Potter, who kinda sorta commissioned the totem pole to promote his now long-gone Strawberry Wilderness Fine Art Gallery.

Ralph’s widow, Margot, has been very helpful, but her memory is spotty on some details a quarter-century after the fact, and it would be nice to be able to corroborate the info she’s given me. (As a crusty old editor once told me, “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.”)

Sadly, the Eagle’s archives have only one story on the totem pole project, and I’ve been able to locate only one other article – from the East Oregonian – online.

I’ve talked to a few other people in the area, but so far none have been able to tell me much.

I still have phone calls out to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and a couple of longtime John Day residents who I am led to believe may be able to fill in some of the blanks. At this point, I’m just crossing my fingers that they’ll get back to me soon with the details I need – because one way or another, I have to get this story written before deadline.

Let’s hope I can cobble together enough information to make it a good one.

Other items on our news budget for next week’s edition include an update on the John Day-Grant County police funding negotiations, reports on a campaign appearance by U.S. Senate candidate Sam Palmer and a virtual town hall by sitting Sen. Jeff Merkley, and coverage of the High Desert League District Basketball Tournament with plenty of photos.

And in case you missed it, last week’s paper had an in-depth report on plans for a Grant County addiction treatment center that, so far, have not come to fruition; an update on plans for a new long-term stewardship contract on the Malheur National Forest; a progress report on efforts to spruce up John Day’s downtown; and a feature on a Mt. Vernon woman battling cancer.

As always, I want to take this opportunity to thank our subscribers for their support. We can’t do this work without you!