TWISP, Wash. — Twisp’s new police chief has never skied or fished for trout in a river, but says he’s ready to experience all the Methow has to offer – as soon as he finishes unpacking. Fresh from the East Coast, Rob Hall took office on Monday (Feb. 1), replacing retiring chief Rick Balam.
Hall’s last position as police chief for a small town in central Virginia was eliminated due to the town’s budget woes. He heard about the Twisp opening from a friend with ties to the Methow, and a visit in early December convinced him to leave family and friends behind.
“It’s night and day from just about anyplace I have lived after 1970,” Hall said. “Back in the day, we believed in helping your neighbor and building for the future and all the innate values that were prevalent then. While I carried those beliefs inside, I didn’t believe people were actually living them anymore. Here is a community of people who are actually walking the talk and I can’t tell you how refreshing and heartening that is.”
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