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PAGE 16
AUGUST
By SAM LOWRY
News Reporter
The news hit hard in Goldend'ale
that Tom Seifert and climbing partner
Gary Gentz of White Sahnon had been
killed in an accident late last week.
Seifert had been an active and
beloved member of the Goldendale
community since he moved here in
1978.
"We lost the best part of us," said
Steve Royall, plant manager at
Calpine's Goldendale Energy Center,
where the two climbers met and
worked together.
"Both guys were highly respected
and loved by [Calpine] staff," Royall
said. "It is a loss.., on a personal level."
Gen~ was an "Operator A," running
the control room, and Seifert an
"Operator B," with outside-the-plant
duties, together operating the plant as
part of a team.
'q'hey were drawn together by their
love of the outdoors... They were the
best of friends," Royall said.
Gentz, a former plant manager who
had been in the electric power business
for 25 years, moved to White Sahnon
three years ago with his wife, Sandy,
"because he loved the outdoors,"
Royall said.
"Gary has been adventurous from
practically the day he was born," said
Sandy Gentz. "He was a wonderful
husband, father, and friend. All of my
family loved him. He really loved -
especially lately - nature. I know that
t
1
Contributed photo
Just for fun, Tom Seifert and Gary Erickson of Goldendale hauled a
campaign sign to the summit of Mt. Hood this sprin'g.
he had a strong faith.., in the way you
should treat people. Gary was just nice
- to me, to everyone."
Seifert was new to the power busi-
ness, having embraced a mid-career
move to Calpine this year after several
years as business development special-
ist for die Kliekitat County Economic
Development Department.
"There is a big hole right in the mid-
dle of my chest," said Dana Peck,
Seifert's colleague at Economic
Development. "He was an incredible
guy, mad he did more for this county
than most people even begin to real-
ize."
County Commissioner Joan Frey,
who worked closely with Seifert on
projects that included retrieving the
vintage steam locomotive that now
occupies its own museum in Wishram,
called him "probably the most i~redi-
ble person I've ever worked with."
The words she enjoyed hearing him
utter, Frey said, were, "Sure, I can do
that," referring to has habit of being
perpetually "positive, energetic and
kind."
"All I can tell myself now is how
lucky I was to have worked with some-
body like him," Frey said. "He tends to
make a better person out of you - if
you pay attention."
Of her friend's death during an
adventure, Frey said, "He went the way
he lived."
Seifert was first known locally,
before working for the county, as a beer
distributor. He went into partnership
with his father, Bud Seifert of
Vancouver, in 1978, after attending
Washington State University. He
moved to Goldendale for the job, met
and married Judy McKinney - and
stayed, his father said.
'q'om loved Goldendale and loved
raising the girls here." he added. The
Seiferts have two daughters, Kimberly
and Alanda.
"He was a great father, business
partner, and friend... You'd know
which a person was talking~
they called him Tom,
Thonlas."
The elder Seifert said
built the distributorship
successful business. He
awards. He sent me and:
Alaska, San Diego, the
and Hungary - he won
didn't want to go, so
One of four children,
was born in Port An
in Vancouver, where he:
from Columbia River High!
Seifert played baseball
ball in school, and his
carried into his adult
Goldendale. He coached
baseball at Goldendale
and he make the
Hood
"He started helping
GHS Principal Mike
"We lost one JV coach.
teered.., and did it for
years. He donated his
Seifert generated all the
build the field, Lindhe
the need for a nice
all, and it was his idea
recognition," to others
"His interests were
I'm sure you could talk to:
and hear lOO different
was wonderful."
r memorial
be held in
gym on Saturday,
ACCIDENT
from page I
Eriekson said. "But your
anchor's only as good as the
rock." Most Cascade volcanoes,
including Washington, have
notoriously poor rock.
Burright told The Sentinel
that according to Mark Foster,
who led the party that found
the men, one climber undoubt-
edly fell and pulled the other
off. One or the other may have
been belaying, braced to the
rock, according to Foster, but
probably not anchored using
hardware.
Eriekson said his friends,
both practiced mountaineers,
had been training recently at
Horsethief Butte for rock climb-
He imagines them getting
into a situation that frightened
them - "where the ground
moved under them" - causing
an error, or where the leader
was hit by a falling rock.
AIRPORT
from page I
which would be covered by the
FAA.
"I think it really translates
into a priority of needs," Miller
said, noting that overall airport
capital needs total some $7.8
million, excluding 2-20, 95
percent of which could be
paid for by FAA funds.
In additiofi, if part of the
runway were converted to a
taxiway, as is planned, it would
be eligible for 95 percent FAA
funding. If the other runway
portion were converted to tar-
mac, it could also be eligible.
"And it's not strictly a cost
issue," Miller said.
He considered industrial
development at the south end
of 2-2o as a significant factor
on the financial success of the
airport.
A pilot in the audience
asked why development
couldn't take place on other
portions of the airport.
"We designed the sewer
system to serve that part
because, frankly, it has been
envisioned as an industrial
park since at least the 199os,"
explained Dana Peck,
Klickitat County's economic
development director, who
stepped up to talk about
development and marketing.
"And if you go out and tramp
around that property, it's
actually flat. From an indus-
trial developer's perspective,
that's the best ground."
A variety of officials spoke
about other airport projects,
including an instrument land-
ing system, runway lighting
and resurfacing, aircraft
hangars and terminal
improvements.
But when the meeting was
opened to public comment,
the main topic of discussion
was drag racing.
"A lot of people are here
because of that issue," said
Jerry Jeffers, who described
himself as a pilot and former
drag racer. Jeffers asked for a
show of hands indicating who
was there because of drag rae-
ing, to which more than half
of the audience responded.
"Runway 2-20 is a great
place to have [drag racing],"
Jeffers said, adding that drag
racing is a great way to help
support the airport, and allow
the public to use it.
"It is the general public that
supports the airport, not the
pilots," he said.
Other audience members
also spoke about racing,
either once a year, or on a
more regular basis.
"I think it is one of the best
things to happen to the air-
port," said Dave Farley, noting
that it raised almost as much
money as a month's hangar
rental revenue
One man asked
to consider
remainder of the
2-20 to alternate
ing racing and
once the 35-foot
to a taxiway is set
Councilors
sioners made no
regarding the
way 2-20.
The Dalles City
set to address the
Monday, Sept. 13,
Kliekitat
already
supporting the
economic
poses to the
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