Give it time

The issue came to the forefront in late August when the Port of Klickitat Board of Commissioners decided to remove a few acres of land from a collaboration that included Bingen Point land holdings of SDS Lumber Co., Dickey Farms, and the Port. The concept was to offer the combined land to Insitu as a prime location for a business campus.

Some feared that if the Port pulled its several acres out of the deal, Insitu may not have a good site for its campus -- and thus leave town.

We agree that every legitimate effort must be made to ensure that Insitu, the ever-growing designer and manufacturer of drone surveillance aircraft, remains in the community. However, we see no good reason to challenge the Port of Klickitat for decisions it is making with its own property.

As the Port's Executive Director, Marc Thornsbury, has pointed out, confidentiality is the order of the day in these types of negotiations. Given that, no news should not at all be seen as bad news.

Just because the Port moves some of its land from one of the parcels under consideration for an Insitu campus does not mean Insitu is now likely to leave the community. There were about two dozen land packages presented to Insitu for its campus, not just this one. Insitu is studying many options.

The main thing is, everyone should just be patient. Insitu will reach a decision when it is ready. There is no reason for panic, and there is no good reason to assail the Port.

We agree with Klickitat County Commissioner David Sauter's view of this situation. Last week, Sauter pointed out that he knows the Port of Klickitat Commissioners to be men of integrity who have the best interests of the community at heart. They are not going to do anything reckless.

In fact, they might just know more than the rest of us.

, but are bound by confidentiality agreements to keep quiet for now.

Let's just relax, give it some time, and see what Insitu's decision is.

JB