It's not hurting anyone. Leave them alone!

Ummm maybe they should worry about that eye sore of a mall instead of a junk pile in the middle of nowhere.

How can you call that a junk pile? Do you know how much money that stuff is worth? Just goes to show just how pathetic this little town is and the people that have the power to just say leave it alone.. That supposed junk pile is like a land mark in my eyes I love looking at it as I drive by it gives some character to a other wise boring drive. I think there are bigger issues in this little area to deal with than something that 1 person thinks is an eye sore! Really come on people, 1st it’s a painting on a wall down town and now this, just plain PATHETIC!!!! Makes me sad to be from Walla Walla.

I agree. Leave him alone, it isn't hurting anyone, and it is interesting to look at. It is deemed somewhat of a landmark around here to many who can see it as something other than a "pile of junk". And when I was a student in high school, the owners were nice enough to let me go on their property and take pictures of some of it. There are many interesting things there.

And also, it is not like the dilapidated mall, as 8mycash said. At least there aren't any little gang bangers out there tagging it and doing who-knows-what out there. That place gives me the creeps, who knows who or what is lurking inside those walls.

Focus on things that really matter. Give the dictatorship attitude a rest. It's getting old.

Wow! It's not hurting anyone? How about all of the creosote from the rr ties, the oil from the equipment and the rust and crap that is migrating it's way into the creek? Oh, but it's a boring drive. @greengirl....have you seen the mall lately. Looks like some cleanup has happened to me. So we can't have a clean community?

@ LAVENDERFIELD.... Really that’s a good argument because I didn’t see Stublefield’s getting fined for all the crap they had right next to the creek, but I guess that’s ok in your eye’s because it was a business right. All the oil from the EQ? We should stop farming then because the combines don’t leak oil and neither does the car you drive? And by the way the Filan’s property looks amazing compared to the destroyed mall!! Open your eyes and get your nose out from the crack of the political parties that obviously have you blinded in the fact that now you to have to be in every ones business, is it really that bad? No I don’t think so. And yes it is a boring drive.

Everybody of course know why they are making such a big fuss about this is to try and distract folks from looking at the real problem of increasing taxes and fees you cant pick up a local newspaper anymore that does not have some sort of increase in it .pay attention and vote folks

@allenfamily....if life is soooo bad here, then move. Oh and my momma once said "Ignorance is Bliss". Commenting on Stubblefields, really? The EPA is involved in that and they have been cleaning that property up for years. Where have you been? As far as equipment leaking...no sane farmer leaves their "equipment" out in the elements since the 80's. Most farmers PUT IT AWAY when they are done. So what I am hearing is you all want your cake and eat it too! You gripe about the mall, but yet leave Filan alone. What a joke. This goes back to the old octopus. It's OK for some to break the rules (just give 'em a hand slap) but not others. Wake up and smell the coffee (or leaking oil).

@mufbridge - you get what you pay for...If you don't like it, then vote no. But then don't gripe that there aren't good streets or a pool...because remember, you said NO.

@LAVENDERFIELD….. Really, cleaning it up for years hu? Where have you been? I see your shooting from the hip now! Just because its sitting under a roof doesn’t mean anything its just out of site and that’s the problem with your ignorance in this picture you have no argument there. This has been here for 30 plus years and just now they’re telling them it’s all junk and writing them tickets, that’s the point and it’s wrong plain and simple and the only argument you have is that it’s leaking oil, I think someone else needs to wake up let alone have some coffee!! And you’re not going to tell me anything about farm EQ and the mess they leave behind I’ve done it for to many years so you keep on shooting from the hip. You’re the one that sounds like they want their cake and to eat it to all the average person wants around here is for the supposed leaders of this little town is to worry about what is important and what isn’t. Oh and by the way how many murders took place on Filan’s property? None? How many at the mall? Ya people are non to appreciative about the mall, but you go ahead and stick up for it!!

This is no longer "the land of the free" if the government can come and tell you what you can do with your own land in the midle of nowhere. I agree that there should be a reasonable effort to make sure the environment is not being harmed but otherwise they should butt out. Parking a truck on private property is not against the rules so parking several shouldn't be either. It's private property! People can live in neighborhoods with HOAs if they want to control what their neighbors do with their property.

@Commonsence
You are so right this is no longer the land of the free as more and more of our libertys are disappearing each and every day. A lot of people these days do not ( have common sence)

I have always heard that he was trying to cover up the water line for his property. He could make some nice cash in scrap metal. Wonder what the inside of the house looks like. Maybe the TV show "Hoarders" will be making a trip to Waitsburg soon.

I have always heard that he was trying to cover up the water line for his property. He could make some nice cash in scrap metal. Wonder what the inside of the house looks like. Maybe the TV show "Hoarders" will be making a trip to Waitsburg soon.

@Lavenderfield. I have seen a bit of effort to clean the mall up lately, and I do think we should have a clean community. I do also believe in sustainable living and eco-friendly alternatives, hence my moniker. However, as someone else commented, many other farmers do park their equipment in barns with dirt floors, and a lot of chemicals from their equipment do seep into the ground as well. What about the chemicals that are sprayed on the crops near that same creek? I don't think that the toxins from the equipment is the real issue here. So please don't make it into that. I don't think the city or county should be able to tell you what to do with your own private land, unless it is seriously detrimental to others' health and/or welfare.

This is quite possibly the most inarticulate discourse I've read. Barely a notch above crayon scrawl.

I agree with greengirl...well said. I think we should call it art and build a museum around it!

Question....
What is the difference of having a stack of RR ties and five miles of RR ties in the ground?

Careful with those sentence fragments wwairship, you don't want to sound inarticulate. :) Barracuda, I was wondering the same thing about the RR ties, given that RR tracks often follow water ways.

Any oils from the equipment have all leaked out long ago. There are junk piles all over the city of Walla Walla where everyone can see. The county development crowd doesn't care about the environment, they need more tax dollars. I wish they would tear down the tacky subdivisions that have been built on the edge of WW ruining the view of the Blue Mountains. Filan's junk pile ruins a view of a low lying field.

"lavender" is the only person making ANY sense regarding this story. The County has been after this mess since the 80's and with Filan attorney's blocking the process...nothing gets done. Anyone that drives to Waitsburg enjoying the pristine views and then thinks that line of crap is art is a wonder to me. It's a junk yard....plain and simple! And Stubblefields.....it's a EPA designated Super Site!

Funny that governments never care about this stuff, until there's Money it it for them!

I have been driving past that garbage pile since it first started, back when the BM Mall was still a cow pasture and it looked like carp then. It grew and grew, and anyone even remortely familiar with Alton Sr. knows the reason behind the pile was not as his son states. In fact, the sons statement is absolutley ridiculous if you have any familiarity with the ongoing feud his dad had with anyone/anything government. That's right, there's a history behind that garbage heap, and familiarity with the history definitely paints a whole nother picture.
For thosae carping about govt. and regulations, spend some of your precious brain cells onthinking what life would be like without regulations. it sure wouldn't be pretty. Part of freedom is being responsible enough to not let things go to heck in a handbasket, and without regs, there will be people taking advantage of anything they can in search of the almighty dollar.
I will say in the Filan's defense that I did notice the start of a clean up earlier last year and was really hoping that finally, someone would step up and get rid of that eyesore. If somoene in town had that sort of garbage sitting around their houe, and they were your neighbor, you'd be on the phone daily trying to get something done about it. Just because it sits 19 miles away doesn't lessen this. Anyone remember the junk heap Nita Yates had out their at Plaza Way and Hwy 125? She moved to the corner of Chestnut and 4th and soon that proprty was a garbage heap. Drive by it now, it looks like a completely different place.
Our governemnt entities are shrinking and it's getting more difficult to keep these junkers under control. Whining about it, or trying to portray them as beong hustled by regulators is sheer nonsense, and I guarntee you, if you lived next to them your tune would be alot different.

But the question on everyone's mind is, why doesn't a government agency do anything to clean up other health/safety hazards around the county? Have you ever driven North of Dell Avenue, and West of 13th? Well, if you haven't, then what you don't know won't hurt you.

Born (1956) and raised in Walla Walla there's not a section of town I haven't been in and/or had friends living in. The Filan isssue is County/Waitsburg, so Walla Walla City doesn't play into this matter, though your point is well taken. As my first post stated, there was a junk yard at the corner of 4th and Chectnut that, if it were my call, would never have been allowed, but I don't have the say so.
The area just below the Pen has improved as a lot of areas have, but also, no offense meant, but every town has it's ghetto. The folks living in these areas have enough issues to deal with, lack of $ to deal with the issues, and any fines or actions actually cost the city more than any headway that will be made. This is not to excuse the blight or actions of these individuals, I feel safe in saying neither one of us, even if we lived in these areas would have a junk yard, but that's the toughest obstacle; making people accept accountability.
In this case, the unknowing, the blame shifters, and the so-what's the big deal pronouncers merely aid those unwilling to accept their accountability by giving them one more lame excuse.