Past Warrenton Chief of Police Son, Erin Bronson Shares his Memories growing up in Warrenton.
By Erin Bronson
These words were all ingrained by my Father the Late Bill Bronson. He served as the Chief of Police in Warrenton for 34 plus years.
I was out of High School before I ever saw him on a regular basis and out of uniform. For all the old timers in the area, you likely may have known him. He was always fair, and wanted the best for others, regardless of what he thought of their actions.
We as his kids were no exception. Many times he would make us redo something asked to be done because it was subpar. Of course, as a child it bothers you to redo something holding you up from doing what you want to do. But we could mouth the words as he would remind us over and over, ‘You don’t have to strive to be mediocre, that will just happen”.
This was very annoying as a child, but as an adult you find out that these words could not be truer. To be great at anything you must practice it, and not just do learn to do it, but to do it the best way possible. You first learn this in a job situation. Your boss sends you to do something and as you do it you want to accomplish it and be done with it, but a quick once thru brings a lecture and a redo order. The second time around was usually less fun.
I see a lot of wisdom in this now as a father, husband and even as friend to younger, learning adults.
One thing the North Coast of Oregon is not, is mediocre. Not in its past, and not in its present. These unique and special people have united together over decades to form one of the best places to live in America. They did it by kindness, help, and striving to do things well.
My family goes back a long way in Clatsop County and South Washington Coast areas. How I ended up in the cattle industry has been a different road, but my roots smell of salty chest waders and razor clams, wet duck dogs and duck blinds; the smell of fish canneries and ladies all dressed in white, wearing knee boots and white hair covers, and the smell of fish in everyone’s cars who had a cannery job; the sound of log trucks and loaders and the smell of fir trees and bark at 4 am on a cold wet coastal logging side. Clatsop county is a great part of America.
So, I remember with gratitude and fondness why my Dad would say. Don’t strive to be mediocre, that will just happen. Clatsop county you are proof that putting your best efforts forward pays off.
Erin, husband of 22 years and father of 5 kids, lives in Idaho where he Area Marketing Manager for the Western USA for Genex Inc. Beef Genetics. His father, Bill Bronson was Chief of Police in Warrenton from 1951 to 1986. Chief Bronson passed away in October 2013, just shy of his 92nd birthday.
