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Great things
to read in this
Letters ... page 4
Giving thanks.., page 8
Volleyball ... page 9
week's paper
II
-- Price 50¢
Thursday, November 18, 2004 • Goldendale, Washington 98620-9526
One hundred and twenty-fifth year-- No. 47
By DAN SPATZ
for The Sentinel
plan to be filed
will maintain Golden
Aluminum's smelters in
and Goldendale for a
restart, and allow contin-
growth of the alu-
plant in The
said in a release
0n Thursday.
Northwest announced
its major creditors
to reorganize its opera-
very pleased that after
work with our cred-
new investors we have
on a plan to restructure our
debt and on new financing
operations. Subject to
this plan will allow
from bankruptcy early
? said Golden Northwest's
officer, Brett Wilcox.
very much appreciate the
support," Wilcox said
"With continued support,
get the plants
as soon as conditions
Photo by Sam Lowry
Many times on Saturday the Lady Timberwolves found fresh strength as they huddled to talk strategy. After
brilliant victories on Friday to reach first the championship bracket, then the state quarterfinals, Goldendale
High School's varsity volleyball team faced the year's toughest test. They lost to LaConner and Onalaska on
Saturday, bringing home the sixth-place trophy. Head coach Jodi Bellamy (CENTER LEFT) and assistant
coaches Joelle Balcom and Kristi Siebert led their team to an undefeated league season. See story, page 9.
's audit
of county:
still some
concerns
By SAM LOWRY
News Reporter
Klickitat County's state audit
for 2003 is dean, mostly.
The Washington State
Auditor's office, which recently
completed its annual audit of the
county's financial statements and
compliance with federal laws,
made no "findings" - a term for
the severest violations - but did
cite five areas of concern in a
"management letter" dated Oct.
29.
The Public Works department
was cited for not following state
bid laws when it executed a
$318,ooo "change order" in late
2002 for the $4.7 million
Dallesport sewage treatment
plant, then under construction.
'l'he County did not separately
bid this new project," the letter
said. "State bid laws require any
significant departure from the
original bid specifications to be
separately bid."
A similar transgression was
noted in the previous year's audit
letter dated Sept. 15, 2003.
See AUDIT, page 3
hinges on three factors,
added: the refnancing
itself, which is now very
completed; the world
the raw material for
which stands at record
will
and file cost of elec-
score, Wilcox said
at the end of the tun-
to plans being devel-
the Bonneville Power
for the region's alu-
industry. Wilcox said he
see those plans completed
meantime, he said, the
direction.
Northwest owns
in The Dalles
at John
near Goldendale, as well
Aluminum
an aluminum recycling
facility in The Dalles.
were shut down in
to high energy
forced to file
," 11 bankruptcy in December
were unable to
debt during the
l in his state-
Northwest has agreed
Creditors to form a new
See WILCOX, page 3
By SAM LOWRY
News Reporter
As the likelihood of gas-fired power
plants in the EOZ ebbed away on
Monday evening, debate turned to
turbines and birds.
The Klickitat County Planning
Commission took no action at its final
public hearing on the county's pro-
posed energy overlay zone (EOZ),
continued frorrf Sept. 2o.
The nine-member commission did
hear from 19 citizens, many of whom
had testified previously; then at 8:2o
p.m. chairman James Dean closed
public testimony and the commission
began deliberations.
Nine speakers favored the EOZ and
nine opposed it; unlike most previous
meetings on the issue, more than one
addressed the idea of consensus.
Moving the discussion from gas to
wind made that seem almost possible.
"Common ground is the basis for
getting the EOZ through," said Bob
Gritski of Goldendale, the last to tes-
tify.
Gritski said that as a citizen and
bird-count surveyor, he had been
involved with the successful develop-
ment of a wind energs overlay zone in
Umatilla Oregon.
County,
The secret, in Gritski s opinion, was
bringing all parties to the table and
working collaboratively.
"We did it in two days," he said.
The EOZ has been in fl~e works for
several years. The current hearings
were convened to consider a final
em4ronmental impact statement
(EIS), completed this fall after nine
months of work by consultants fop
lowing public hearings in 2oo3 on a
hotly debated draft EIS.
The zone's stated goal is to hasten
and simplifi/the energy-project siting
process in the count?'.
Dawn Stover, long an opponent of
gas-fired plants in the EOZ, also
spoke more hopefully where wind
was concerned.
"It's not a question of whether [the
count?, should have wind power], but
how and where," Stover said.
There was still contention, howev-
er.
Several landowners who favored
the zone, most of them east-count3'
farmers and ranchers, discounted
biologists' fears that wind farms could
harm migrating bird populations,
expressing concern that such fears
could hinder wind development.
"I don't like birds being used to
stop wind projects," said Cheryl
Davenport of Goldendale. "It reminds
me of the spotted owl."
Photo by Sam Lowry
The Klickitat County Planning Commission finished the public comment
period for the proposed energy overlay zone at Monday night's meeting.
"I love my windmills," said do consider passage of the EOZ to be the
VanHoy of Centerville. best way to ensure wind develop-
Stover - along with a majority of ment.
other opponents - felt there was cur- Very few citizens even bothered to
rently no roadblock to wind projects.
Participants on a recent tour of lands
east of Goldendale where PPM
Energy of Portland proposes the
extensive Bighorn wind farm, Stover
said, "talked with representatives
from the company about good and
less-good places. That's part of the
CUP [existing conditional use permit]
process, and it seems to be working."
Landowners, however, appeared to
speak of gas plants. One was worried
that statements by county commis-
sioners Don Struck and Ray Thayer
against gas plants in the EOZ had
been only electioneering.
However, even county economic
development director Dana Peck said
he felt gas plants would be excluded.
"Anybody support gas plants? Can
we exclude them?" asked planning
See EOZ, page 2
injury collisions
week on Hwy. 97
due to slick roads;
bridge at mile-
near Maryhill, was
for two hours last
when a south-
car driven by
,75, of Pordand, spun
road, crossed the
and struck a north-
head-on. The
a double tanker
of milk, was driven by
of Selah.
to Washington
(WSP) troopers,
knee, arm aod
injuries but was
in stable condi-
Gheorghe
of Portland, suf-
spleen; Ames
were wear-
morning, WSP,
Sheriff, VII
and Goldendale and
units responded
injury colli-
30 near Satus
8teinert, 47, of
Contributed photo
Rescue units from Klickitat and Yakima counties respond
to a three-vehicle injury collision near Satus Pass Tuesday
morning.
Puyallup, negotiating a fight-
hand curve while traveling
southbound in a 2002 pickup
ptflling an enclosed box trailer,
also crossed the centerline
according to WSP's report.
Steinert collided with a north-
bound 2oo5 pickup driven by
Bruce Decker, 49, of Hood
River.
Ramiro Oregel, 33, of
Southgate, Calif., was in a com-
mercial vehicle driving north-
bound behind Decker at the
time of the collision; Otegel hit
Steiner's box trailer.
The two pickups came to rest
See WRECKS, page 2
City council
applicants must
file by Dec. 1
The City of Goldendale
will interview candidates
for a vacant city council
seat on Dec. 6, the city
announced this week.
The seat on the six-mem-
ber council was vacated last
month when David Rising,
elected in 2003, moved out
of the area.
"Persons interested in
applying for the vacant
councilmember position
are requested to present a
letter of intent to City
Hall," said the city's
announcement.
The deadline for submit-
ting a letter of intent is 5
p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 1.
The council will review
letters and interview candi-
dates at its regular meeting
on Monday, Dee,6 at 7 p.m.
The person chosen to fill
the vacancy will serve the
remainder of Rising's
unexpired term, to end
after certification of the
November, 2005 general
election.
Reports on Tuesday in
regional newspapers said
that the Yakama Indian
Nation has decided against
siting a destination resort
on the southeastern slopes
of Mt. Adams.
After review by the tribal
council and several
resource departments,
council officials announced
that the Yakama were
unwilling to sacrifice an
area of "extreme cultural
significance" for a "very
large sum of money," one
report said.
Tribal officials had not
returned the Sentinel's calls
by press time.
According to the same
report, the resort's promot-
er, Mount Hood Meadows
of Oregon, was not yet pre-
pared to take no for an
answer.
"In my mind, it's still up
in the air," Meadows' man-
ager Mike Riley was quoted
as saying.
Still waiting for governor
Another week of trading tee and provisional ballots
leads, accurately foreseen came in throughout the
last week by state elections
officials, saw Democrat
gubernatorial candidate
Christine Gregoire leading
Republican Dino Rossi at
press time on Tuesday by 89
votes out of nearly three
million cast - that's three
thousandths of a percentage
point.
Counties' counts of sever-
al hundred thousand absen-
week.
Counts from pro-Rossi
eastern counties put him up
a few thousand votes by
Thursday; Gregoire inched
ahead only Tuesday morning
thanks to provisional ballots
from King and other majori-
ty-Democrat counties.
Counties' final tallies are
due on Wednesday, Nov. 17;
a recount is likely.