Local kid comes to town

And then there's Glenn Beck. He's that guy on Fox who ... well, never mind, we all know who he is. Another Fox entertainer who makes millions stoking readers' fears and anger about any fermenting thought that bubbles to the surface of his mind.

Time [magazine] further describes Beck as "a gifted storyteller with a knack for stitching seemingly unrelated data points into possible conspiracies", proclaiming that he has "emerged as a virtuoso on the strings" of Conservative's discontent ... mining the timeless theme of the corrupt Them thwarting a virtuous Us."

--Wikipedia. Beck recently described President Obama as a "racist," bringing to mind images of black kettles and speaking pots.

Anyway, Beck was born and reared in Mount Vernon, Washington, a middling agricultural community lying alongside I-5, about an hour's drive north of Seattle. Mount Vernon until now was known chiefly for an annual tulip festival, and as the point of departure from I-5 when you're heading for the ferries to the San Juan Islands. These claims to fame apparently lacked sufficient drama in the eyes of its ambitious mayor, however.

On Saturday, Mayor Bud Norris will present to Glenn Beck the key to the City of Mount Vernon. As the mayor admits, the key doesn't open a damn thing, but will cost something like $50 to $80 at the kind of shop that throws together bowling trophies. Police officers will work overtime to provide Beck with security, and officers from the county and surrounding communities have been asked for assistance. The key will be presented at a ceremony with a $25 admission charge.

Sixteen thousand persons have signed a petition opposing the honor (the town has a population of around 32,000). The seven-person City Council unanimously passed a resolution stating:

Mount Vernon City Council is in no way sponsoring the Mayor's event on September 26, 2009 and is not connected to the Glenn Beck event in any manner.

Residents of the San Juans and neighboring towns who regularly shop in Mount Vernon are murmuring about a possible boycott.

But the mayor isn't blinking. The show will go on.