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Newspaper Archive of
The Goldendale Sentinel
Goldendale , Washington
April 29, 2004     The Goldendale Sentinel
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April 29, 2004
 
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LISE SUBJECT TO LICENSE AGREEMENT. REPRODUCTION, DISSEMINATION, STORAGE, DISTRIBUTION PROHIBITED. PAGE 4 APRIL SHATTUCK from page J "My client has been denied a fair trial on the single charge," said Hanson. "All the testimo- ny so far is irrelevant and biased." The courtroom audi- ence waited for the entire ease be dismissed. Reynolds ruled that the cheeks would have been intro- duced anyway. AUDITOR TESTIFIES Anderson's witnesses, in addition to Edwards, included KVGG board members and the independent auditor who, together, walked into the grain growers' offices on Oct. 16, 2002, to discover financial records in a state of chaos. Shattuck, they said, had been putting them and a federally- required audit off for months. Shattuck left shortly after their arrival, they testified; the officers and the auditor, Kenneth Meissner of Alegria & Co. Auditors in Yakima, found Shattuck's desk draw- ers stuffed with months' worth of unopened mail induding bills, invoices, and tax statements. Finding no updated finan- cial statements, they set out to reconstruct them. "We were overwhelmed," said Meissner. Many records were never found, witnesses testified. When Riverview Bank pro- vided copies of canceled KVGG checks, Meissner found several that had no cor- responding journal entries. Some, written by Shattuek to herself, were entered as hav- ing been for other purposes. Hanson, as he cross-exam- ined Anderson's witnesses and then put Shattuck herself on the stand, sought to show that the smaller checks were legitimate reimbursements for travel, sick leave, vacation, comp time, and overtime. Or that they could have been, and State's witnesses could not show they were not. Hanson had only to show reasonable doubt; Anderson had the burden of proof. Then all the smaller checks this way?" Hanson asked the jury. Anderson, in his own sum- mation, offered no alternative picture of Shattuck's intention or frame of mind, arguing in effect that the facts spoke for themselves: In more than a year, the defendant did not see to a $14,ooo reimburse- ment, and the one piece of evi- dence that she had even tried was questioned by a reliable witness. The jury agreed with Anderson. APPEAL PLANNED After the verdict, KVGG's current manager, Marta Mikkalo, expressed relief. "I'm pleased it came out guilty. The law prevailed," she said. "It's mostly a morale boost- er, and will create no tangible difference for our organiza- tion," she added, referring to KVGG's troubled finances, which she and other officer and members blame on Shattuck's management. "It's important to the farmers that the position the organization is in has been validated." KVGG, said Mikkalo, has applied for $1oo,ooo in low- interest loans. "We will be in a much better position finan- cially if we get them, to get out grain license back. We believe we will get back on our feet and will not have to close - our organization is strong." Hanson said his client intends to appeal. "Both my client and I were exremely disappointed with the verdict. The jury didn't take into account that reim- bursement records showed deposits [around the time of the alleged theft] that were significantly more than the amount they said they didn't get. The State failed to show that these were not reim- bursements from my client. "We were also chagrined with the legal ruling that allowed the State a surprise witness [Ms. Lindhe] to testify regarding a financial docu- ment, while we were not allowed to introduce evidence to impeach her testimony." "We intend to move for a new trial, and if that is denied, to file an appeal." Conviction for first degree theft, a Class B felony, carries a maximum penalty of lO years and a $20,000 fine. Sentencing is set for June z. Photo by Sam Lowry Klickitat Valley Grain Grower boardmember Jim Hill (LEFT), board member Cheryl Woods and manager Marta Mikkalo, together immediately following Monday's verdict in the Shattuck trial. They are, they said, working hard to put KVGG back on solid financial footing. (They're not that much different in height; the three are w¢~lirrtialated. : ,;, : sta~ng onthe oounty oourthouse~ steps.) [ Hhnsov, sought to create ~ : reasonab!e doubt concerning I]] i Shattucks intentions when Person Pump &,,eli Drilling she wrote check No. 11534. Mark McKenna of McKenna Motors testified that he could- n't remember whether Shattuck wrote a personal check first. Board member Cheryl Woods seemed unsure about where certain records were kept at KVGG. Shattuck contradicted most of the wit- nesses' other testimony. But Anderson had intro- duced one witness just before the trial, over Hanson's strong objection, when another wit- ness representing the Shattucks' mutual fund com- pany on the east coast could .not attend. Kandi Lindhe, of Goldendale, testified that the document Shattuck gave Goldendale police officer Jay Hunziker to show she'd with- drawn money from the fund to reimburse KVGG could not be authentic. Hanson, in his summation, argued that Shattuck was not just a scapegoat but a whistle- blower who had tried to report her predecessor's thefts from / Hard Rock Drilling made easy #' Specializing in difficult wells ¢" Sand problems / Turbid water / Reconstruction "Call us- we do it right the first time" Jim Hanson- Driller for 38 years (509) 773-4085 (509) 493-4050 III I #PERSOP5011Be rG01dendale Dental Center" Oral cancer accounts for about 96% of all cancers diagnosed in the U.S. arid was responsible for about 8,000 deaths last year. Red, white or discolored patches that don't heal are a sign of ora_I cancer and should be checked r6y your dentist. Alcohol and tobacco prod- ucts are a common cause of oral cancer. oral cancer has only a 5o% fwe-year survival rate. Schedule your complete oral Kristin Chambers Dr. Lyle Ferch, D.D.S. Office: 617 E. Collins Drive, Goldendale • 773-5545 Hours: Mon. - Wed. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Thurs., 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. the grain growers, only to be ~ We welcome new patients! i/ ignored; who'd been told by the board to work from home and, in the face of computer problems and a market down- turn, had let paperwork get behind. Hanson said his client's attempts to explain herself had been stymied - two days after the auditors came, they'd changed KVGG's locks. "What if you were shut out We now have... • Used Pads • Used Tires fi Rims • Taking Hulks Glue us a coil! Towing, 24/7 773-3888 Parts, m4,8-S 773-3m Joe's Towing fr Wrecking 11 Commerce Rood [1 mi. out on Hwg. 142) My wishes are for a simple cremation. At Erdman Funeral Home and Cremation Service, we can arrange for this request or any other type of service a family may have in mind. It isn't necessary to go out of town or join a society to have your wishes carried out. All of our services are performed local- ly and we offer what no one else can: Affordabili , integrity;, digni , trust and familiarity. After all, we have been taking care of the Goldendale community for more than IOO years. Call us, 773-4646. We are here to help. - Erdman FuneralHome and Cremation Service. Parents urged to immunize inf; nts "Love them. Protect them. Immunize them," is the theme for this year's National Infant Immunization Week, running April 25-May x. The week is sponsored by the US Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. Infant health experts say a public push to increase infant immunizations is especially important in Washington, since the state has some of the lowest immunization rates in the nation: only 73 percent. "Immunization is one of the most important public health strategies in the last century," said Cynthia Shurfleff, who chairs the Immunization Action Coalition of Washington. "We have made great strides. When the Coalition first started, the immunization rate was only about 56 percent." -- Wash. News Service CON ARTISTE / Sara Williams, author of the new suspense Juan Con, visited Goldendale this weekend for The Golden Gallery and the Book Nook. response, said Williams, was "amazing." She "three or four" of the hardcover books, but sold dozen. The Don Juan Con's point, said Williams, property in Goldendale but lives in the Puget Sound, women, particularly, of charming cons. "My idea learn to separate your emotions from your bank New cattlemen'= Some Washington cattle ranchers have formed a sec- ond organization to lobby for and protect their interests. The Cattle Producers of Washington (WCP) is new on the scene this month and has gained 75 members. "We are a rancher-driven organization," said Ted Wishon, vice president of WCP. WCP joins the Washington Cattlemen's Association in representing state cattle interests. The focus of WCP will be on the needs of the men and women who produce for the group cow-calf market. Their general feeling is that the Cattleman's Association is more focused on the processing and meatpaek- ing side of the industry, orga- nizers said. Neff Kayser, a Klickitat County cattleman and past president of the Washington Cattlemen's Association, said that he and other area ranch- ers were aware of the new group. Kayser said the he had no interest in joining the WCP. "The problem is what it's going to do politically," said Kayser. It's a simple equation: Two groups equal ing for the same ear~ lion from the the legislature. Kayser sees this "Well my ing one thing and' saying another, rect?" Lee Engelhardt, Lake cow-calf founder of WCP, Yakama Herald doesn't put calf man's pockel going to focus KLCK A.M. 1400 ° 773-3300 MORNING TALK SHOW S( 8:35 a,m, to 9 a.m., Mondays through Wednesdays April 29 & 30 Hotline! Call May 4: Care Givers Class, Joel Balcom May 5: Mayor Mark Sigfrinius Talk sho w suggestions ? Comments? kick@gorge.net Apci 24, , 5: 4th Street between Washington & / Cede Lw'at~;~w~ ChL%Lv@~ N C,~xr Participants include Child I.D./Lions Club Moose Lodge/Radio Shaok Columbia Gorge Safe Kids Oregon Partnership Railroad Operation Lifesavers U.S. Army Corp of Engineers l~-Du 4-H Sheep Club/ Petting Zoo Q104 Radio MCMC Diabetes Health end Nutrition MCMC Laboratory MCMC Visiting Health Services MCMC Center for Mind & Body Big Brothers/Big Boy Scouts of Ameri~ Troop 438 Cascade Eye Center Child Care Partners East Wind Chiropractic Center Hospice o1 the Gorge MCMC Nursing Mid-Columbia Center for Living i!! i~ 911 Therapy Planetree Health Fire Prevention & Commission on Children and Familial WascolEherman Coultflf Health Depa~v~e~t sponsored by Mid-Columbia Medical Center and Q104, Bank of America, Sprint M~MC MID-COtLIMBIA MEDICAL CENTFR