Councilman involved in scuffle with neighbor

The Daily World

Aberdeen City Councilman Jim Cook allegedly punched his neighbor in the face following a verbal dispute on Monday that resulted in the Aberdeen Police Department getting involved.

A police report says that Cook was cutting wood with his chain saw shortly after 7:30 a.m. when his neighbor Ryan Thomas came out and asked him to stop since his father had been up until 4 a.m. working and was trying to sleep inside the house.

Cook allegedly refused, saying "everyone was up and going to work as it was Monday," according to the police report.

Hearing his son and Cook argue, the father, Jeffrey Thomas, emerged from the house and began to argue with Cook over an ongoing fence line dispute, the police report states.

"Cook was leaning over the fence yelling, so Jeffrey said he pushed Cook back on to his own side of the fence, at which point, Cook punched Jeffrey in the nose," the police report states.

"Once Jeffrey was punched, Ryan jumped the fence and tackled Cook," the police report states.

Medics with the Aberdeen Fire Department were called to look at the injuries -- a bloody nose on Jeffrey and a dislocated right shoulder on Cook.

Aberdeen Police Capt. John Green said that neither Cook nor his neighbors wanted to pursue charges.

Cook didn't return a message seeking comment on Friday.

Cook is currently running unopposed for re-election in Aberdeen Ward 1. He serves on the city's Public Works Committee and is the mayor's appointee to the Chehalis Basin Flood Authority.

Neighbors! Can't live with them. Can't fit them into the trunk of your car. It shouldn't come to blows, but I have to say, I think I would have had words with my neighbor, too... if I had any neighbors. Issues like this are why I don't.

Jim is a good guy and to be fair to him he was pushed. I cannot imagine him walking away from that one.

He does live in Southside and bad neighbors and disputes can happen in the best of neighborhoods and with any neighbors (we all remember Timmons) but odds in his neighborhood are better.

With this publicity maybe he should run for mayor.

Crux of the matter:




We have a two-door-down neighbor who starts mowing his lawn every Saturday morning between 7:00 and 7:30 a.m. during the mowing season. We are awake, but it's our one morning a week to relax in bed, watch Monk from 6-7, Bulls and Bears and then Cavuto until 8...so mower noise that early is annoying. In our old neighborhood, we all had an understanding that no mowing until 9 a.m. on Saturdays. That was a good arrangement. Maybe LJ could impress upon my neighbor that he's not maximizing my happiness.

Maybe regarding the punch in the nose. But, firing up the power saw at 7:30 in the fricken morning? Unforgivable. He should have punched himself in the nose.

You know how it is with the working class. You gotta slop the hogs, feed the chickens and get the wood before you go to work. Training like that from childhood makes it hard to think of 7:00 Am as being anything but working hours.

I bet the tweakers and welfare cases have problems with it though.

He's offering you an opportunity to demonstrate some industriousness by getting you out of bed at a working-class hour.

I understand about some folk getting up with or before the sun and getting busy. But, when you live in a neighborhood, some of those neighbors don't. Some go to bed when the sun comes up. There are all kinds of reasons to wait for a decent hour (I'm thinking 9:00, but 8:00 wouldn't surprise me much) to fire up a chain saw right under your neighbor's window... just common sense, imo. I've never met Mr. Cook. Maybe he doesn't have much.

We try to start noisy projects after 10 AM, to keep our guests happy.

Jim has a house and kitty corner from his house he has a bunch of lots that have been filled in. Those lots have fenced lots bordering them. I am guessing that is where he does his wood cutting, in the middle of this big area. It sort of feels remote.

Power saws do carry but what can a guy do? If you can't sleep go buck up a few logs into firewood! At least he waited for daylight.

Starting up a chain saw at 7:30am, inside the city with nearby neighbors is rude. I don't care if it's a Monday, Friday, or Sunday. Mr Cook could have been an adult about it and simply stopped for about an hour. What would it have hurt? Nothing.
I beleive he responded the way he did (verbally) because of the history of fence line dispute. Had there not been that history I doubt it would have come to pushing/blows.

All that could be but while I know the area he lives in I don't know his neighbors. Guessing who started the fence dispute is like the chicken and the egg riddle.

I have only a passing acquaintance with Jim 45 years ago and a little interaction a few years ago on stuff pertaining to his lots. He never seemed like a hothead but neighbors can get under you skin and who knows what you get.

Bottom line, the neighbor pushing him is the act of assault that launched the blow. Boundary disputes can be solved without fistfights. Neighbors can talk. I think this hothead action tells a lot about the guy doing the pushing's communication skills.

A power saw at 7:00 may be rude but is not illegal. I am glad I am not in the neighborhood.

Heh. +1

I'm with you, Stash. A little consideration and common decency go a long way.

We get these types of actions from the people running the city of Aberdeen? Yikes.

I wonder if he was wearing his new T-shirt.

I work nights (obviously) and I have quite a few neighbors around me who work in their yards early and often. We have a gentleman's agreement to keep the lawnmowers/chainsaws off until 9 a.m., in order to let me sleep a tiny bit longer.

After 9 a.m., all bets are off. They're all cool with it. No fistfights needed.

A little communication goes a long way, I guess.

That is probably the moral of the whole story. There is a better way.

Not mentioned so far is that Jim is in his 60s and at that age is unlikely to be duking it out with anyone's kid unless it was forced on him. I give him a couple points for actually hitting his neighbor as opposed to missing his target and falling on his ass.

I am thinking he is embarrassed about the whole thing. Maybe old dogs can learn and he will a new and improved neighbor.

Some of us in the working class also work graveyards or rotating shifts. Maybe his neighbor should return the favor and crank up his stereo, or work on his car at midnight.

I know it worked in my case when my neighbor forgot that we don't all work a static 8-4, Mon - Fri like he did. A couple of nights of Slayer cranked up while I revved up my old Nova with the glasspacks changed his tune.

It is illegal in some cities and neighborhoods. Maybe a city ordinance could be passed that limits noisy actives: lawn mowing, leaf blowing, chainsaws, etc until after 10:00 AM. I like to sleep in some mornings.

And after 10PM...including fireworks!

Sounds like the neighborhood is entertaining:

Aberdeen Councilman Charged With Disorderly Conduct

Disorderly Conduct charges filed against an Aberdeen City Councilman and his neighbor after a New Year's Eve argument elevated to the first ward councilman getting hit over the head with a pink plastic wash basin.

The investigator's report states Cook and the family next door began arguing over Cook's fence, the neighboring child and mother distracted him, while neighbor Jeffrey Thomas reportedly struck Cook with a disposable plastic wash basin that shattered on contact. Both Cook and Thomas were charged with disorderly conduct. Aberdeen Police tell us this isn't the first time officers have been called to Cooks home in the 1100 block of Lindstrom street.

KBKW News

We get these types of actions from the people running the city of Aberdeen?

Yes, yes we do. And Mr. Cook probably rates in the upper half of elected Aberdeen officials in terms of intelligence, common sense, and effort.

Sad, that an adult and elected offical seems unable to control their emotions.

I think it's fair to point out that the elected official was the bonk-ee, not the bonk-er.

I'd hate to think that each time a neighbor smashed a plastic washtub over my head, people would think less of me.

I knew the council person was the one struck, but both parties were cited by police. This is not the first time - just a few months ago the council person "punched" the neighbor.
So yeah, I think somewhat less of him. The guy has a problem controling emotions.

I haz a problem controlling me emoticons too.

You know how it is with the working class.

it's been a few years for me, but there are still a lot of folks working 'off shift' hours...glad I don't live in that neighborhood, I rely on good ties in the community where I live. We watch each others' homes, something that is helpful.

I haz a problem controlling me emoticons too.