Tis the Season Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2025
Vol. 146 No. 52
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Commisioners consider giant flag for courthouse lawn Rodger Nichols For The Sentinel
The Sentinel’s interview with Santa
St. Nick talks about his busy time of year On Christmas Eve, as families gather and the year’s busiest season finally grows quiet, we offer something a little different on these pages—a moment of wonder. For generations, Santa Claus has been part of the stories we share, the hopes we carry, and the magic children hold close to their hearts. Today, before the sleigh lifts off, Santa agreed to pause for a few minutes and answer questions from children and adults with children still in their hearts. We invite you to read this together, perhaps aloud, and to keep it as part of your family’s Christmas tradition. Merry Christmas from all of us at The Sentinel. A Christmas Eve interview with Santa Claus The Sentinel: Santa, thank you for taking time to talk with us on such a busy night. How ready are you for Christmas? Santa Claus: I’ve been ready since about July—but I always feel a little extra excited on Christmas Eve. There’s something special in the air, don’t you think? The Sentinel: Children always wonder—how do you visit every home in one night? Santa Claus: Well, I can’t give away all my secrets, but I will say this: when love and kindness are involved, time has a way of stretching just enough.
The Sentinel: What do you notice most when you visit homes? Santa Claus: The quiet moments. A light left on. A pair of shoes by the door. A plate of cookies made with care. And sometimes a handwritten note in crooked letters. Those things mean more to me than any gift. The Sentinel: Do you really keep a naughty and nice list? Santa Claus: I keep a tryingtheir-best list. Every child has good days and hard days. What matters is they keep learning how to be kind—to others and to themselves. The Sentinel: Santa, what is the North Pole like right now? Santa Claus: Busy—but happy busy. There’s music playing in every workshop, bells ringing in the halls, and more laughter than you can imagine. The elves call it “the joyful rush.” The Sentinel: What do the elves do when they’re not making toys? Santa Claus: They read, they bake, they sing, and they help one another. Elves are very good at teamwork—and very good at reminding me when it’s time to take a break and drink some cocoa. The Sentinel: Is there one elf who’s in charge? Santa Claus: Oh, no no—elves work best together. Some are excellent builders, some are great
Klickitat County Commissioners covered a lot of issues at their next-to-last meeting of the year on December 16. During the morning workshop session, Public Works Director Jeff Hunter gave updates on a couple of issues. He said he has been getting a lot of questions about a giant flag local philanthropist Ty Ross hopes to place at the Goldendale courthouse. “The last thing we have to put together is what the cost is going to be to replace the light on top of the flag,” he said. “I’ve heard costs at as much as $50,000 to get a crane in here, get it assembled to change a light bulb. That’s why people don’t put in 200-foot [flagpoles]. Once we get that cost, it will be time to meet with the board, with Ty and Scott [Edelman] and see what they can do
to offset the costs.” Hunter also surprised commissioners by informing them he’d had a survey of homeowners done in the service area of the Dallesport Wastewater District. He said he’d teamed up with MCEDD, the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District. They’d sent three teams of two, each consisting of one person from MCEDD and one from the county, and were able to reach about 25 percent of the district. It was a very simple survey, he said, with only three questions. The first was to establish they were talking to the owner of the property, rather than a guest or visitor. The second asked, on a scale of one to 10, how happy the homeowner was with the current wastewater service, and the third noted Klickitat County is considering turning over ownership of the Dallesport wastewa-
ter system to its current operator, Klickitat PUD. The response on the second question averaged 7.51 out of 10. And for the third question, Hunter said, “12.6 percent said they would support the change in ownership, 61.2 felt neutral, and 26.2 said they would not support the change in ownership.” He said he kept the survey under wraps initially because he wanted a true sample without any advance community discussion. The proposal to turn over the treatment plant has been strongly opposed in the past by the board of the Dallesport Water District, believing they are best suited to operate the plant. Also in the morning workshop session, Planning Director Scott Edelman argued for a comprehensive update to the planning department’s fee schedule, justifying the changes as necessary
See County page A8
The four weeks of Advent A Sentinel special observation Join us as we celebrate each theme of each week of Advent. Share your reflections on the themes.
See Santa page A8
Newhouse looks to exit Congress on his terms Jerry Cornfield Washington State Standard For a while, Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse says he’s been hearing a little voice in the back of his head telling him it might be time to step aside. Last Wednesday, he announced he’d decided to follow that impulse and would not run for reelection next year in the 4th Congressional District in central Washington. “I came into Congress thinking I’d probably spend 10 years. I just came to the conclusion and made the decision,” he said. “It’s not been an overnight decision.” “I just want to make clear that I’ve got a year to go on my term, and I’m going to work very hard to fulfill my responsibilities and serve my constituents,” he added. It has been a rough and tumble year for Congress, marked by a record-long government shutdown during which the House never met. And for Newhouse, it’s not been easy navigating the turbulence created when he voted to impeach Donald Trump in 2021. But the 70-year-old congressman insisted Wednesday that those factors didn’t drive his decision. “Absolutely not,” he said. “A lot of people may disagree with
some of the positions, some of the votes I’ve taken, but most people respect others who stand for something and who vote their conscience and can justify the positions they take. It’s not been a detriment or a negative thing.” Newhouse, of Sunnyside, has held the seat since 2015. Before that, he served in the Washington House of Representatives from 2003 to 2009. Then, for four years, he was director of the state Department of Agriculture under then-Gov. Christine Gregoire, a Democrat. Newhouse’s family operates an 850-acre farm. He has balanced his conservative politics with pragmatism, making him accessible to Democratic House members especially on agriculture, farm labor, and immigration policies, all critical to his district. “Dan has always brought a principled commitment to public service. I’m grateful to call him a colleague and friend all these years,” U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Medina, posted on X. DelBene served with Newhouse in the Gregoire administration when she led the state Department of Revenue. U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle, a leading voice for House progressives, said New-
See Newhouse page A8
The fourth candle of Advent is the Candle of Love. It glows with the light of a love that will not let go. This love lights our homes, and it reaches out to our neighbors and the whole world. Love is the heart of Christmas, the story of how God’s love comes in and fills the world. As we light this fourth candle, may we become light and bring love to those who need it.