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Newspaper Archive of
The Goldendale Sentinel
Goldendale , Washington
January 8, 2004     The Goldendale Sentinel
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January 8, 2004
 
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BJECT TO LICENSE AGREEMENT. REPRODUCTION, DISSEMINATION, STORAGE, DISTRIBUTION PROHIBITED. Great things Mad cow thoughts...page 4 New Year's baby...page 5 Centerville's Henry Garner..,page 6 to read in this week's es --- Price 50¢ Thursday, January 8, 2004 • Goldendale, Washington 98620-9526 One hundred and twenty-fifth year- no. 2 DAN RICHARDSON Publisher Goldendale School and a citizens' commit- have hammered out a pro- two-year levy that asks ;95,000 for two years. 2005-06 operations and would be sev- hundred thousand dollars than that for 2003-o4, would also make up for in state money lost in to the district's tax base, according to officials. essentially has a Calpine, which owns the plant on the edge of Feb. 3 is the date for district residents to vote on the levy. Voting may take place by mail (ballots are expected to be sent out by mid-January) or in per- son, with all precincts casting ballots at the middle school. District officials stress that the levy" proposal would not raise new money, given the loss of state funds. "We have been conserva- tive ... in terms of what we think the community can belly up to the bar for," said district Superintendent Ian Grabenhorst. Some of what the proposed levy. would pay for includes: • $565,ooo for utilities, insur- ance and annual buildings and grounds maintenance. • $327,ooo for classroom equiplnent, books and athletic programs. • $173,ooo fore school nurse, a career counselor, a physical educator at the middle school, and school-to-work programs. According to Grabenhorst and business manager Kay Hill, the district has been thrifty with the money it has now. They noted, for instance, that the levy.- in past years comprised about m percent of the district's total budget, compared to a '5 per- cent average in the state. Local per-pupil levy. spending stands at about $78L versus a $,,226 state average. More importantly, they said, the district has taken the neces- sat5, belt-tightening measures in the face of declining enrolhnent, trimming staff rather than ask- ing for the additional funds. "Mso," said Grabenhorst, "the district has been real aggressive in seeking state and federal grants," such as the $110,OOO, three-year rest CentuD~ learning grant it has won. One unheralded district effort scored $26,0oo from sev- eral private companies in the area, fined by the state's Department of Ecology; a little- known state program allows companies to donate money in lieu of paying a portion of their fines. That money, said Grabenhorst, went to pay for fiber optic cable to increase the 'S " ~ " " dL tnct s technologwal capacW. TAX RATES AND THE ENERGY PLANT Calpine's ener~" plant on the edge of town, with its high-dol- lar propert?' value, introduced a complex factor into Goldendale dishict school taxes. The plant's value is estimated to enhance the district's tax base as much as $5¢) million when it's fired up this summer. Already, even under construc- tion, the Calpine plant's added value has meant a nearly $2oo,ooo drop in state equal- ization. State aid to schools is See LEVY, page 8 Small communities seek levy support All small towns' school levy elections, like Goldendale's, will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 3. Klickitat County elections supervisor, Dawn Weaver, said that absentee ballots for all districts will be in the mail by Jan. '4. CENTERV1LLE CenterviUe School District officials are asking their neighbors to vote in a $n5,ooo maintenance and operations levy for 20o5-o6. (The amount is an annual fig- See SUPPORT, page 8 By SAM LOWRY the Lyle tunnels were the News Reporter worst he'd heard about. Eric Olsen, transportation As the temperature shim- manager for Klickitat County left and right of freez- Senior Services' Mt. Adams last weekend, following a Transport, said they'd had Year's Day storm that one bus stuck, but were still 9ed seven inches of available for emergencies, on the Goldendale val- sledders hoped for more business people await- melt-off. The sledders got their wish fresh snow resumed continuing off and Tuesday as tem- dipped as low as one late Sunday in Goldendale. to whom s-n-o-w w-o-r-k - road and and to offer rides for gro- ceries and medical needs. Meanwhile, city road crews had quite a week of it. "We're surviving," said Goldendale's public works director, Dave Griffin. "We started plowing at a a.m. Friday." The city's two articu- lated plows, road grader, front-end loader and back- hoe had major streets in good shape by start-of-business crews, towing compa-that day, with an impressive visitor services, winter berm running the length of managers, search Main Street. rescue - just thanked Griffin said he appreciated lucky stars that people residents' patience, although smart, there were some complaints, Washington State mostly about driveways blocked by snow from the (WSP) reported only a number of accidents passing plows. "We'd like to mostly in the clear all driveway entrances, part of the county, and but we just can't," he said. City crews - a bit short- By Tuesday, despite heavy handed, with some workers on all roads, luck was out this time of year - ~holding up. According to removed the berm Saturday P trooper Gavin March, before dawn, creating a moun- non-injury collisions on tain of snow in E'kone Park. 14, a jack-knifed semi Good thing, too. By two, and drifts blocking Sunday, they had to start all over again. Grifffin , excused himself ' early from Monday'scity Photo by Sam Lowry SATURDAY, 4 A.M. "- City crews have been hitting the streets before dawn to remove pile-up snow. Here, a front loader operator cleans Main Street. through entire reg" Motorists advised to stay home Despite.heavy snow, high drifts, and occasional bursts of strong wind, Klickitat County Weather and road information in Oregon and Washington • For Washington state driving conditions, road reports and mountain pass information, including web was doing a good job on Tuesday of riding out the third winter storm since Christmas. Elsewhere in the region, though, there was greater dam- age and discomfort. On Tuesday at 12:10 p.m., officials shut down Interstate 84 from Troutdale to Hood River, due to blizzard condi- tions. "It set in pretty darn quick," said Dave Thompson, a spokesman for the Oregon Department of Transportation. "We don't know how long it will last. For now it's indefinite." According to meteorologist Mark O'Malley of the National On Jan. 3, icy. conditions on H~VY. 35 between Hood River and Mt. Hood resulted in the death of a 22-year-old Parkdale man and his 13-year-old pas- senger, and injuries to four oth- ers. A rockslidejust west of Hood River had previously dosed one eastbound lane of Interstate 84, on Dec. 31. In eastern Washington, the New Year's storm blew cars off of icy Hwy. ,2, just south of Walla Walla, said meteorolo- gist Diann Coonfield of the National Weather Service in Pendelton. Walla Walla report- council meeting, anticipating ,acams, go online to Weather Service (NWS) in See REGIONAL, page 2 short night s www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffie. Portland, it was sleep. "If we get • For road conditions by the first time any- what they're talk- photo, call 1-8oo-695-ROAD body there could ing about" - still • In Oregon, a road infer- remember the more snow, fol-marion Web site is local office having lowed by freezing www, tripcheek.eom, and ,- issued a blizzard rain and melting 8oo-977-6368 from within warning. - "we're going to the state. have a mess," he ° The long-distance num- By Monday at said. ber to call from outside noon, the Oregon ~ ",.-., .... Mailmen and Oregon is 1-5o3'588-2941. State Highway garbage collee- • The Oregon Department Patrol's office in Photo by Jim Somlor The Dalles had A major rockslide durin9 last week's tors had theirof Transportation has also reported x7 storms temporarily blocked both east- share of compiled a Winter Travel wrecks, just since bound lanes of Interstate 84 at milepost Photo by ann mchardso, headaches, too. Survival Kit that is available New Year's Day 60 last Wednesday morning. Cleanup i~ Scarola shovels out the sidewalk in P o s t m a s t e r on the Web at: of the Golden Gallery in downtown See LOCAL, www.odot.state.or.us/com when the second crews were able to clear one lane in a le. page 2 m/winter/htm of three storms short while, and predict the rest won't be had hit. cleared until sometime this week. Council contemplates water rates, storms, jobs By SAM LOWRY News Reporter A $2.50 monthly water rate increase is in the works for nmst Goldendale customers. With that and other pro- posed changes, such as gradu- ated hookup fees, the city would raise about $60,000 a year for water and sewer projects, city administrator Larry Bellamy told the city council on Monday. An ordinance to effect the change, and another to shift, for two years, 40 percent of city sales tax revenue from the fire department into water and sewer projects, received the council's approval at their regu- lar meeting. A second, final public hear- ing on the rate changes will be held Jan. 20. The city has spent several hundred thousand dollars on water system improvements in recent years, much of it due to regulatory requirements. Grants and low-interest loans have helped keep rates below the state average, Bellamy said, and among the lowest in the gorge area. But there is more work to do. The fire department's coffers are fuji by comparison, ,which made diversion of sales tax dol- lars an option. Still, to keep up with costs - to service loans, attend to failing pipes, and replenish reserves - it was time for the small increase, Bellamy said. It is the city's first water rate increase in six years. Goldendale resident Ken McKune w-as not pleased. With a rate increase, he said, the city would be breaking a promise - in exchange for allowing the Calpine Corp. energy plant at the edge of town, the city had said utility rates would stay low. Officials responded that through the sales tax and in other ways, Calpine has in fact contributed a windfall. The city also hopes to start receiving large water payments from the company, if the plant starts operation next July, as planned. New councilman Tom Cuff had a different concern: Might a clause allowing water service outside city limits under certain See COUNCIL, page 3 Wanted: a few Klickitat County and women to be the communi- ears." Southwest Washington Agency Advisory Council which advises the agency, is looking new members to speak for the seniors and adults with dis- have had good representation Kliekitat County," said the director, Pat Janik. "But are a few people going off the as the'andyre most have served as long allowed to." Advisory coun- cil members may serve up to two three-year terms. Said Janik, it's very important that members come from each of the agency's five constituent counties: Clark, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, their communities to the need for quality home and community-based long term care services. They help the agency identify needs, goals and pri- orities, ensure accessibility to services and resources for the aging popula- Skamania, and Klickitat. The agency tion, and review and develop data and considers its advisory council mem- bers to be "the eyes and ears of the community." Meetings are held once a month in Vancouver. The agency reimburses for mileage, said Janik, and council members often earpool - "and you get to go shopping!" she said. Members educate themselves and information used in planning, service delivery, and advocacy. The Southwest Washington Agency on Aging advocates for long-term care services for seniors and adults with disabilities in the five-county area. Klickitat County Senior Services, which provides a wide range of sevices locally, is the agency's subcon- tractor. Adults who are interested in issues related to aging, senior services, and long-term care are invited to repre- sent Kliekitat County on the SWAAAC. The council meets on the third Wednesday of each month, from m a.m. to ~2 noon at the Human Services Council, 74'4 NE Hazel Dell A reader contest Ave. in Vancouver. For more information call program I yOU can't , manager Klaus Mieheel at the I iSee The Serltinels Southwest Washington Agency on Aging in Vancouver, (360) 694-6577 loal "greatest films" feature t I-- and the contest -- on I ext. 232. -- Sa= Lowry [ :page 12. j