New clerk to start in Elmer City

Elmer City has a new clerk.

Garrett Benton, an Elmer City resident, takes on his new position at the town hall this Thursday.

Garrett said Tuesday that he is looking forward to his new role as the chief number cruncher for the town.

The new town clerk grew up in the Seattle area, and has a degree in agronomy from Washington State University.

“I wanted a background in agriculture because I wanted to go into the Peace Corps,” he said.

Benton spent two years in the Peace Corps in Nepal, where he helped local farmers in a remote area to develop new agriculture techniques.

“Some of the things we tried were not successful,” Benton stated. But he did teach farmers how to grow cauliflower, develop new ways of growing the bee business and other skills.

Later Benton spent time in Costa Rica and returned from there the second time in January when he settled in Elmer City.

He also spent time in the Horse Heaven Hills near Prosser where he worked in a team developing cuttings and planting some 1,300 acres of grapes.