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PAGE 4 NOVEMBER 11,
I
~7~~ ~ ~, ~. • "~ • ~
ANDREW J. MCNAB- TARTAN PUBLICATIONS, iNC., PUBLISHER
KAREN HENSLEE, GENERAL MANAGER
SAM LOWRY, ACTING EDITOR
The idea of a race track near Goldendale keeps rattling around, never
quite on the table and never quite off.
The Sentinel hears regularly from interested citizens, usually those
who live or own property near the site purportedly proposed for the year-
round, seven-day, club-owned track. Most fear its noise.
Local farmers have also weighed in, concerned over traffic and, ulti-
mately, over threats to their rural livelihood.
Meanwhile, a number of city and county residents and officials inter-
ested in economic development strongly believe that a track could bring
essential - and perhaps unexpectedly large - benefits. They may, of course, be right.
Goldendale has proven itself a tremendous motor sports mecca; each
new event or facility can add to the "brand" and the area's attractiveness.
Much swings on choices being made in the city's current tourism plan-
ning effort.
Meanwhile, track promoters, still seeking funding and beginning to
cause some locals to wonder how serious they are, suggest that another
type of synergy may be needed - enough vocal local support to persuade
funders.
Here's the rub.
It should be clear by now that the site proposed is just near too many
people.
Good planning means creating criteria then picking the site that best
meets them; it does not mean picking a convenient, available site and
hoping everybody falls in line.
The recent siting ofa motocross track near Alderdale, with not an audi-
ble peep of opposition, speaks volumes. -
Promoters and city fathers should take residents in hand - opponents,
proponents and those on the fence - and resume the search for that elu-
sive piece of property, near enough to Goldendale for the town to get the
business, but far enough away from neighbors that no one will have to
force anything down anyone's throat.
-SL
One of the great things about U.S./Canadian relations is the relatively
open border between our two countries. We're used to driving up to the
border, answering a few silly questions and going our merry way. The wick-
et is getting stickier, however.
A man called from Calgary recently and ordered ]r~
a few of my books. He called back a week or two ~
later to say he has this phobia about owing people
money~ and wanted to send me a check even ~
though the books hadn't arrived yet. (This made
him one of my favorite people.)
©2004 Roger Pond
He apologized that the Canadian government has decided to search all
small parcels at the border in retaliation for the nasty tricks we've pulled
on them lately. "If our gutless wonders really wanted to do something, they
could cut off oil exports to the U.S.," he said.
I received his check and the following letter a few days later.
=The books you sent me are still being processed by Canada Customs,
along with 2oo,ooo other dangerous U.S. parcels in a Vancouver, B.C.
warehouse. Hundreds of thousands of other U.S. parcels are also being
held in Toronto and Montreal.
"l-his is in retaliation for the U.S. ban on Canadian cattle, wheat, lumber,
wine, and chocolates. Admittedly these Canadian products are a threat to
U.S. security.
"Of the thousands of Canadian cattle tested (Eight times the number of
U.S. tested cattle) one cow in Canada and one in the U.S. tested positive for
B.S.E.. Canadian wheat was used extensively in U.S. pasta, which could
certainly lead to large numbers of overweight Americans.
"The same could be said of chocolate or wine. Maybe Canadian lumber
burns faster, and should not be used in U.S. houses?
*On the other side, your books pose a real and present danger, so I can
see Canada Customs protecting Canadians from them. While reading "My
Dog Was A Redneck..." at our lake cabin I laughed so much my beach chair
tipped over, spilling me and my Glenfiddich onto rough sand.
=Further, while reading the same book late at night, I couldn't help but
laugh out loud. This woke up other family members who were tired from a
hard day of water skiing, followed by vodka coolers. This brought on
threats of book burning, unless I learned to read without laughing. (It
could have led to physical abuse.)
"You can see why it is necessary for our respective governments to pro-
tect their citizens from each other. A more appropriate retaliation would be
for Canada to cut off oil and natural gas we send you. That way Americans
would have to walk everywhere, instead of riding in cars, trucks, snowmo-
biles, or golf carts.
"This would result in a nation of physically fit people. The option is you
could sit at home and freeze in the dark ....
"Hopefully, some day my government will allow me toread the books
you sent, and the extra copies will get to family members; so they too will
be able to laugh. (Out loud.)"
Best Regards,
Howard Gibson
I decided Mr. Gibson's writing is better than mine and sent him some
free books in payment for it. I hope he gets them someday.
THE GOLDENDALE SENTINEL
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER FOR GOLDENDALE AND KLICKITAT COUNTY, WA
ESTABLISHED 1879 • PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY FROM OFFICES AT
117 W. MAIN • GOLDENDALE, WA 98620
TELEPHONE (509) 773-3777 ° FAX (509) 773-4737
EMAIL: (NEWS, EDITORIAL, LETTERS) SENTINEL@GORGE.NET OR
(ADS, COMMUNITIES, HOMETOWN) GSENTINEL@GORGE.NET
THE GOLDENDALE SENTINEL STAFF
BETH SCHRoDER, PAGE LAYOUT/DESUGN, CIRCULATION
AMY WALKER, GRAPHIC DESIGN
Subscriptions:
Deadlines: 1 Year, 2 Years
News and Letters: Noon Friday Goldendale - Carrier $22, $37
Display Advertising: 5 p.m. In Klickitat County - $29, $52
Classified Advertising: Noon Monday Outside Ktickitat County - $38, $70
Legal Notices: 5 p.m, Monday
USPS 2213-6000 WEEKLY, Periodical postage paid at Goldendale Post Office,
Goldendale, Wash. 98620. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Goldendale
Sentinel, 117 W. Main St. Goldendale, WA 98620-9526.
[;oldendale entinel
(,,U3 IUMb O¢
WHAT'S THI
PURPOSE OF YOLIR
VISIT-- CHI AP DRUGS?
OR POLITICAL
ASYLU/ P
USA
O 0C l
www.barryscarl"oons.com
THE
Let's do some-
thing about
overtaxation
To the Editor:
We have a problem. Last spring,
about April 15 (income tax day),
they said we work for Uncle Sam
until the middle of May. ,Just
recently, that datum had jumped
to July 7, which means our total
faxation is now 51 percent. When I
was a kid, it was about lO percent
and nobody thought a thing of it.
The surprising part is that now, at
5t percent, no one seems con-
cerned. But, it is steadily climbing.
Will we tolerate 65 percent? How
about 75 percent? When will we
rebel? No one knows.
If you think this will go away,
you are dreaming. Stop and think
for a minute and you will realize
that it will never stop on its own.
When we reach the intolerable
stage, people will look around in
disbelief. How could this be? 1"hat
is when they will realize they must
have been asleep. That is when
they will finally understand that
they should have seen the problem
and acted upon it while they could.
As to a revolution. Probably not.
It all depends on how soon the
problem is discovered by the com-
mon folk. Because, you see, the
common folk are the only ones
who can do anything about this.
Congress won't make a move until
they are forced. Their job is spend-
ing. The man on the street has the
power but that power must be con-
centrated.
If this goes too far, we could slip
into some form of socialism. At
any rate, our precious freedom
would be in the balance. I don't
know about you, but I'm ready to
do something about this.
Rex Bullis
Lyle
Arnold ran an
honest campaign
To the Editor:
I am deeply disappointed that
The Sentinel would print the letter
from Lyle Ferch that unfairly
attacked Pat Arnold during the last
week of the campaign for Klickitat
County commissioner. Other
newspapers have adopted a policy
of refusing this last minute tactic,
which is calculated to disallow
time before the election for any
response in the same publication. I
hope The Sentinel will also adopt
such a policy.
Pat Arnold ran a straightfor-
ward, honest campaign, one that
should be a model for others seek-
ing office. She was always interest-
ed in listening with open ears to
citizen concerns and answering
questions. In her campaign she
spoke directly to issues that affect
our county. Yet in the end she was
treated to these vicious, untrue,
and undemocratic remarks, which
were intended to appeal to the
prejudices of some voters. Most
unfortunately, this has become a
pattern during our count), elec-
tions.
Please consider this. When
intentionally misleading and nega-
tive messages about candidates are
publicized in a way that does not
permit reply, it does substantial
harm to not only that person but
also the voting public, who need
facts to vote intelligently. The
democratic process is undermined.
And potential future office seekers
will be disinclined to subject them-
selves to such unfair treatment. In
the end we all lose.
Phyllis L Clausen
Trout Lake
Columbia Hills
not good site
for wind power
To The Editor:
Everyone w~ints to support wind
power, but the key to keeping wind
power green is proper siting. The
focus of Klickitat County wind
power is the Columbia Hills.
When wind power proponents
came to the Northwest they met
with environmental and renewable
energy advocates and formulated
voluntary siting criteria. Siting in
the Columbia Hills violates every
one of the agreed to siting criteria.
The Federal and State wildlife
agencies have emphasized the sig-
nificance of the Columbia Hills for
birds, and the Washington State
Fish and Wildlife Department has
declared the Hills among the top
five percent of raptor habitat in the
eastern half of the state. The
National Audubon Society has
studied the Columbia Hills and
found the worth of their Important
Bird Area Designation, which is
only given to the last best bird
habitat left. Audubon Washington,
Seattle, Audubon, Audubon
Society of Portland, and many
northwest chapters have protested
the siting of wind power on the
Columbia Hills.
Micro-siting and mitigation are
not solutions. Two companies have
now touted their sites on the Hills,
each claiming to avoid the bird
sensitive area where the other
company was siting their wind
farm. The truth is that the entire
Columbia Hills are unsuitable for
wind power because of the impor-
tance of this place for birds. These
last prime habitats cannot be suc-
cessfully mitigated.
We are fighting gas plants with
you, will you voice your opinion
against wind power in the
Columbia Hills' important bird
area? And if you believe the EOZ is
a bad idea -- as we do -- then why
not oppose the whole thing? The
planning department fax number
is 773-6206. The deadline is Nov.
18.
Dave Thies
White Salmon
Mt. Adams
resort proposal
disappointing
To the Editor:
For over forty years we have
hiked, climbed, and camped on
Mt. Adams. The area has
accessible yet undeveloped.
area of amazing beauty and a
logical and geological
house. Very few areas remain
combine these qualities of
importance, accessibility,
wildness.
We were startled and
to hear of the destination
proposed for the SE side
This type of resort is built bY4
porations, whose
cerns are income and
a "community" where
individuals can buy a
risk free "experience".
sport of skiing is not
cost, competition from
leisure activities) the
stantly expand and u
hopes of drawing patrons
from other areas.
These resort communiti~
basically feudal. Workers
massages and manicures,
tables, clean rooms and do
other jobs that keep such
running. Yet they are
live at the resort because
rents (and possibly aren't
there except when
must commute long
often-icy roads. The jobs
wage and few, if
Although the ~developerS
to be environitientally
and may try to be so, a
project inevitably has
impact, ranging from air
loss of plant and
and stream and water table
tion (water is
use, golf courses, pools,
snowmaking equipment
extend the season).
And now, as if there
enough Disneyfied place'
world, the largest
state mountain without
cial activity is tl~-reatened.
even low-paying ones, are a
of these developments,
are important ne
quences as well. We
resort
a truly conservative manner,
respect for the mountaifl
future generations.
Don
Letters are
editing
specifically that
A contact
required
to the editor is
p.m.
Mall them tot
Main,
98620;
Email
Fax them to:
4737. •