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things Biz Buzz,
page 3
Io read in
Letters to Editor, page 4 Communities, page 6
Sports, pages 8-9
1is week's
Sentinel
-----.
BB
-'- Price 50¢
Thursday, May 20, 2004 • Goldendale, Washington 98620-9526
One hundred and twenty-fifth year -- No. 21
LOWRY
Reporter
OWners about to
nd to be
means the
to confis-
off their land
of unpaid taxes.
bid will be as
percent of the
In better times
market value
one to buy.
often means
so many
, Paying off taxes to
an old dream, or
has become
priority.
going to get it,
the taxes, too,"
Glenn Taylor
a spot move,
or just don't
the Klickitat
office is
and corn-
plaint" to the owners and
interest holders - as far as they
could tell - of 33 different
properties in the county.
They'd started with 59 prop-
erties, but 26 were
"redeemed," the taxes paid
and foreclosure halted.
"Usually, the lienholder
[financial interest-holder] will
redeem the property," said
County Treasurer Dani
Burton, for whom foreclosures
are a required if unpleasant
part of the job. Of the 33
remaining properties, though,
"I don't see a lot of lienholders
who'll redeem," said Burton.
The 59 foreclosures are dou-
ble the number in the last two
years, arid six times the 2OOl
figure (see graph).
Most attribute the increase
to economic hard times in gen-
eral, and for Goldendale-area
properties, to closure of the
nearby aluminum plant in par-
ticular.
"Now is about the time that
people laid off from the plant
have lost their unemploy-
ment," noted David Telford, Skamania County has seen no
another Goldendale-area real- foreclosures in years, accord-
tor. ing to Chief Deputy Treasurer
"It's a sad deal," added Vickie Clelland. She's worked
Taylor. "Maybe they bought in with many people to avoid it,
an up market, lost their job, though, and knows what they
then their home." face.
In comparison, neighboring "Usually they're unem-
Photo by Sam Lowry
All sorts of properties are facing foreclosure by the county for
failure to pay three years' back taxes: In-town houses and
wide spreads of acreage, like this ranch west of Goldendale.
ployed, or the primary bread-
winner takes ill.., then they
can't play the game of catch-up
at 12 percent interest per
year?' That's the county-levied
interest rate, per state law. "It
is out of line with current real-
ity," said Clelland.
The owner of a large ranch
near Goldendale, who's been
through personal bankruptcy
and now faces foreclosure,
rarely comes around. "I
haven't seen her in two years,"
said a neighbor.
Said one relation of another
family facing foreclosure, "I
don't think they want to be
disturbed."
A third properry owner
agreed to talk, as long as his
name was not used.
"Foreclosure is a last, worst
option," he said. "It's changing
times and economics and situ-
ation. We've been up here for
eight years, and have been hit
hard. Work is down. I feel for-
tunate to still have an occupa-
tion. I'm not sure we can
redeem
Foreclosures in Klickitat County,
2001-04
59
30 29
2001 2002 2003 2004
Information is from the county Treasurer's Office.
Note: Not all foreclosures proceed to sate.
might. There's not much
chance of [our properties]
selling. Our house was on the
market for three years, and we
showed it two times."
Of the 33 properties still in
danger of foreclosure, about
half are owned by people
- although we See FORECLOSURF~, page 3
She s a littte woman with a BIG heart."
friend, describing Kay Kimmel, Goldendale's 50.year piano teacher
5¸
8, takes a lesson in the studio behind
' Goldendale.
Photo by Sam Lowry
Kay Kimmers house on East
I has been teaching piano since 1954
By SAM LOWRY
News Reporter
CELEBRATION
'RECITAL
of Kay
Years teaching
Grace
Goldendale.
May 23, fol-
piano recital.
Kay Kimmel's friends have invited all of her
piano students, past and present, to a celebration
in her honor on Sunday, May 23.
Many won't make it - but if all did, there would
be quite a crowd: Kimmel has been teaching music
for 5o years now, since she got her first teaching
job out of college, in Chelan, at the tender age of
21.
"I could teach before I could vote!" she recounts
with glee - which seems to be her favorite state of
mind.
Kimmel, who grew up in Satus - "between
Toppenish and Mabton" - said she moved to
Goldendale the first time, in the '6os, for its beau-
ty.
Of course, she also had a job teaching piano,
guitar, violin, voice, and folk dancing at the prima-
ry school, for by then she knew that was her life's
calling, and she'd already had music jobs in Moses
Lake, Richland and Granger.
When a local school levy failed, she went on to
teach at WSU in Pullman, then went back to
school herself, studying music therapy at
Willamette University in Salem, Ore.
But Goldendale felt like home, and Kimmel
decided to retire here after 26 years in the class-
room so she could hang up her shingle and teach
private lessons.
The studio behind Kimmel's house, stacked
with books and music, is where that has been
going on since 1979 - merely the second half of
Kimmel's teaching career.
She likes to keep track of her students, especial-
ly when they stick with music. These days, Kimmel
page 3
What
Id chil
forum's
Some 24 million American kids need some- Diane HDadman, food service director of
thing to do after school each day. Wahluke School District 73, said that her school
Linda Williams would like you to do some- district had success with a program called Feed
thing about K/ickitat County's share. Your Brain, a summer program to feed the bod-
Williams, a 4-H Program assistant in ies and minds of district children during the
Goldendale, is not looking for money, or labor, summer months.
She wants your ideas. Feed Your Brain is a grant
At the Klickitat School on WHAT: A public forum on after program of School's Out
June 2, The Washington school activities in the county. Washington (SOW). SOW is
After School Network a co-sponsor of the June 2
(WASN) is hostiflg a forum WttEm~: KUckitat school forum, and a training orga-
to see how the new state- WHEN: June 2, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. nization. Hyndman said
wide agency can create bwo: 773-5817 SOW's program funding
after-school programs to fit added two classes to the
needs of individual schools summer school schedule
throughout Klickitat County, said Williams. and then fed the entire bunch-6oo per day. As
Some districts are in more need than others, a result, Hyndman said, reading levels jumped
Williams said. Parents have a difficult time in one level that summer.
these communities finding places for their chil- Williams asks any educator, parent, county
dren to go after school, official, or anyone interested in the welfare of
Through the forum, WASN hopes to plan children to attend the forum and participate in
more access to programs, understand obstacles, the construction of a new after school program.
and then lobby the state government to fund
and implement the final choices.-- Greg $/¢/nner
"Every 15 Minutes" program
sober reality of drinking and driving
By GREG SKINNER
News Reporter
On Monday night,
Goldendale resident Rich
Milliren heard a knock at the
door. Outside, Officer Rob
Colley had a horrible message
to deliver: Milliren's daughter,
Shere6, was killed on her way
home from a local restaurant.
Killed by a drunk driver. In
officer Colley's hand: Shere6's
engagement ring, her bible
and I.D. card. It was terrible
for the father to hear those
words from Colley. It was a drill.
The next day, standing in
Goldendale High School gym,
while pointing at his daughter,
Milliren told the senior class of
2o04, "I know she is alive."
For him merely thinking
that he would never watch his
daughter grow up would be
too much to bear. "It's amaz-
ing to think that every 15-min-
utes some parent goes through
that," said Milliren.
"Drinking and Driving is a
Photo by Greg Skinner
An assembly of Goldendale high school seniors listen to
Goldendale Police Officer Jay Hunzinker talking about the
choices they make with alcohol and driving. The student in cen-
ter, in white makeup, symbolizes one of the Americans killed
every 15 minutes in an alcohol-related accident.
choice," said Milliren. The push, GPD Officer Jay
father was speaking to the Hunziker said, the Every 15
senior class as part of the Minutes production is a safe
Goldendale Police Depart- driver program more than a
ment's (GPD's) "Every 15 "don't drink" program. As an
Minutes" program.
Part of a national education See 15 MINUTT~, page 2
June
It's too dry to burn debris or setting any cited, and if a person's causes a wildfire, he
other fires outside, will be charged with the costs of suppressing
That what the Klickitat County Rural #7 that fire, the release stated.
Fire District commissioners say.Several wildfires singed portions of the
The commissioners are asking residents county last summer, during the usual dry,
in the fire district, which includes a large windy conditions. A couple reached within
portion of central-east Klieldtat County, to striking distance of communities, including
refrain fromburninganything, according to one in Klickitat Canyon and another,
a news release, sparked by a train, that burned to the bor-
In addition, district officials are announe- ders of Wishram.
ing a total burn ban beginning June 1. -- $tq~[~et~t
be