Goldendale Sentinel January 14, 2026

Headlines & History since 1879

Tort action against Conservation District progresses

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ediTor

A former employee of the Central Klickitat Conservation District (CKCD) filed a tort claim notice accusing the district’s executive director of sexual harassment, retaliation, and widespread grant and records irregularities, and signaling plans to take the case to federal court if a settlement is not reached.

Comments last week from the CKCD and the attorney for the employee paint opposing views of the situation but also point to a possible imminent settlement.

According to the tort claim notice, Megan Taylor was recruited and hired by Executive Director Loren Meagher in late 2024. Shortly after she started work, in December 2024, Meagher allegedly made a “highly public and unwelcome physical sexual advance” toward her at a local bar,

an incident her attorney characterizes as humiliating and intimidating because of his supervisory authority.

Meagher has a recorded history of extreme hostility in a public setting separate from the tort action. A video obtained by The Sentinel and corroborated as legitimate by multiple sources shows Meagher wielding a pool cue stick while attacking a person in the Simcoe Cafe bar last May. Several bystanders are seen having to restrain him.

The tort action states that when Taylor rejected Meagher’s advance, he allegedly began excluding her from meetings and projects, micromanaging her work, denying professional opportunities, and demeaning her both privately and in front of co workers “in ways designed to intimidate and isolate her,” behavior her attorney

says created a hostile work environment under Washington law.

The notice states that Taylor suffered a workplace injury at a job site in late June 2025 and reported it through Washington’s Labor & Industries (L&I) system, which her attorney describes as legally protected activity. After that report, Meagher allegedly stripped her of supervisory duties over the Youth Crew, effectively demoting her, and issued a written reprimand by email while copying multiple employees, actions the notice claims were retaliatory and

loU Marzeles ediTor

A Klickitat County employee has filed a $3 million tort claim against the county, alleging he was retaliated against for reporting government misconduct and because of his service in the U.S. military reserve.

Richard Foster, represented by attorney Justin Leigh of Phillips Reynier Sumerfield Cline & Smith, filed the formal claim on January 2 with the county auditor’s office, triggering a 60-day waiting period before a lawsuit can be filed. According to the claim, Foster reported multiple

Employee sues County for retaliation

concerns to senior county officials in December 2025, including County Commissioner Todd Andrews and Prosecutor Rebecca Cranston. His complaints centered on alleged failures to follow proper hiring procedures, unauthorized departmental restructuring, conflicts of interest, and discrimination related to his military service.

Foster has served as an active member of the U.S. military reserve throughout his employment with the county. The claim alleges that county leadership “repeatedly expressed frustration and hostility” toward his military service and made negative comments about his training and deployment schedule.

Shortly after raising these concerns, the county placed Foster on paid administrative leave,

characterizing the action as related to “workplace misconduct.” Foster’s attorney asserts the county has refused to provide any factual justification for this action.

The claim invokes the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), a federal law that protects service members from employment discrimination based on their military obligations. Foster alleges the county’s actions were motivated by hostility toward his protected military leave requirements.

Foster claims the county’s actions have derailed his career trajectory and blocked his advancement to a director-level position that would have paid approximately $110,000 annually, compared to his current salary of around $80,000. He alleges the stigma of being associated

change all that and become a good

Dallesport development gets closer look The

Melissa Uhles

For The senTinel

Located at 775 E. Broadway in Goldendale, the Ponderosa Motel is now under new ownership. The Sentinel contacted Nita M. Culver, the new general manager, via email.

Sentinel: Who are the new owners of the Ponderosa Motel?

Culver: In the Spring of 2025, VestCapital acquired the Ponderosa Motel with a plan to raise standards through stronger operations, reinvestment, and a phased improvement strategy that supports a safer, cleaner, more community-aligned property. VestCapital is a Camas, Washington-based real estate investment and development firm focused on improving community-serving properties.

Sentinel: VestCapital described the Ponderosa on their website: “The Ponderosa is a well-known Motel in Goldendale, Washington. This 46-[room] property is located just two miles from a $2B+ renewable energy project and has been a true value add, updating both the property and the culture on the business side. In addition, this property boasts surplus land.”

VestCapital also describes their firm, saying, “We are a technology-driven real estate private equity investment and development

firm that acquires, manages, and sells a diversified portfolio of assets. Our business model is transforming commercial real estate investing by providing a platform where investors may directly access institutional-quality assets and build wealth passively.”

With that said, what changes are planned for the Ponderosa?

Culver: Our approach is phased and practical: stabilize operations first, then modernize the asset, then elevate the long-term experience. The goal is to make the Ponderosa safer, cleaner, better managed, and a stronger contributor to the surrounding community. Planned improvements include:

Safety and order: stronger onsite policies, improved operations and visibility, and clearer standards for conduct and operations.

Cleanliness and guest experience: higher housekeeping and maintenance standards, staff training, and consistent service expectations.

Capital improvements: targeted renovations to rooms and common areas, an exterior refresh, and curb-appeal upgrades.

Local impact: using local vendors and service partners where possible and operating with a long-term mindset that aligns with the direction of the neighborhood.

We see the Ponderosa as an as-

set with meaningful upside—and we’re committed to doing the work the right way: consistent operations, real reinvestment, and clear accountability.

Sentinel: What features make it a good place to stay?

Culver: The Ponderosa is a practical, well-located option for travelers who want simple access, straightforward lodging, and improved standards under new ownership. We have a fabulous team that cares about the goals we have for the Ponderosa. We feature friendly service, an inviting and positive atmosphere, with knowledgeable employees who want to help our guests. We also want to work closely with the community to uplift and elevate our neighboring businesses and make sure to provide information on whatever services our guests may be asking about or needing. We are striving to be a positive, thriving community member. Additionally, we have made small adjustments that make our guests’ stay more comfortable and accommodating, such as: tweaking our breakfast menu and times, installing a laundry facility, and partnering with local businesses for discounts and experiences.

Sentinel: Who are you hiring?

Culver: As improvements roll out, we anticipate adding roles to

rodger nichols

For The senTinel

Rumors of a big development planned for Dallesport got a boost from Klickitat County Public Works Director Jeff Hunter at Klickitat County Commissioner’s January 6 workshop session.

“We’re looking at a development with a potential of, say, 500 people,” he said. “When you have that many people in an urban setting like that, my experience is you’re best to have [that development] owned by the government, just because [it’s] going to get maintained. If not, you’ll have a mess.”

Hunter was referring to the roads and streets in the development, a sentiment that was echoed by Commission Chair Ron Ihrig, who emphasized that it was the responsibility of the developer to build the streets and roads to county standards and that the whole development can’t be served by a street that is just a loop.

“This county’s not taking a road with a dead end,” he said.

“It would have to be a through road, built to the county standards and paved, at no cost to the citizens of the county.”

Hunter said he would be meet-

ing with the developers on January 7. In other developments, new County Administrator Robb Van Cleave has been reorganizing county departments. He told commissioners he was ready to make one of those moves right away.

“There have been various discussions in the past about moving the Emergency Management program from Emergency Management Department to Public Works,” he told them. “Public Works has prior experience years ago managing the emergency management program and is willing to assume that leadership today. Based on a critical staffing issue, vacation schedules and other issues, I’m recommending that the transfer be on or before January 16.” Van Cleave said he’d spoken to heads of both departments who were committed to making it work. Under the plan, Jeff King would be focused on 911 dispatch and the radio communications network, which is overdue for an upgrade. Van Cleave said he would bring the specifics to the meeting on the 13th to be voted on.

Another reorganization would place the Building Codes, Code

Top story this week last year: Defamation suit

filed

The Sentinel’s top story this week last year opened this way:

“A spate of inflammatory information has shut down a Goldendale business and led to a $5 million defamation suit.

“Starcade Pizza on Collins shut its doors January 6 in the wake of rapidly declining clientele as four people in Goldendale launched a coordinated series of attacks on social media against owner Michael Snyder, going so far as to create a Facebook page specifically aimed at warning people against the business and Snyder.” Snyder filed a $5 million defamation suit against defendants Darlene Williamson, Leandrea Kessinger, Amanda Dershon, and Julia Skillman. The case is not over. It has undergone a number of twists and now is at the Washington Supreme Court awaiting a ruling, which could come very soon.

Centralcongressionalraceheatsup

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This week’s Goldendale’s Attic Mystery Picture

Forty young men. Maybe an early agrarian county gang? The Klicks? And where was this

L ooking Back

taken? When? Why? If we knew, we wouldn’t be asking. All we know is this picture ran in The

Sentinel sometime, lost in the annals of yesteryear. If you know anything about it, please send us

an email (info@goldendalesentinel.com), or give us a call (509-773-3777), or drop in at the

office—and remember, you’re welcome to come in and take a look at the original photograph.

Answer to last week’s Mystery Picture

January 13, 1912 – 114 Years Ago

There was a big event at Fallbridge, Klickitat County, last Saturday when the great bridge across the Columbia River was opened to railway traffic. “With this token I christen this bridge ‘Celilo’ and pray that happiness and prosperity may be the chief fruits of its existence,” spoke Mrs. H. M. Harps, as she broke a bottle of wine against the massive steel frame of the Oregon Truck’s new $1,000,000 bridge. The bridge is a one-track structure, built entirely of steel, resting on a sub-structure consisting of piers and abutments of concrete and granite. In the construction of the bridge, 17 102-foot deck plate girder spans were used, six 230-feet truss spans, one 230-foot truss span to be erected cantilever fashion, one 250-foot draw span, and five 75-foot girders.

January 8, 1936 – 90 Years Ago

The first calf born in Klickitat County—at three minutes past midnight, December 31—in 1936 is to be awarded to the first baby born in 1936. The Klickitat County Independent Newspaper learned this week when Martin Lumijarvi, a prominent Centerville rancher, called the office to claim the baby awards. Mr. Lumijarvi said that the News had failed to say, in any of its advertising, whether the new baby was to be human or animal. The matter was hashed over and finally decided that the coincidence of the first calf and the first infant held an interesting connection and that the fitting and proper thing to do would be to present the purebred Guernsey calf to the parents. This will be done as soon as the little fellow can be induced to leave its mother, who is caring for her child at the Lumijarvi farm.

January 6, 1966 – 60 Years Ago

Snow weather such as we have been experiencing naturally brings out tales of former big snows. According to information supplied to us by Zenus Mattson, an early settler of Centerville, the winter of 1884-85 was one of the record breakers. Snow was six feet deep in the valley on the 15th of December. It started snowing the first week in November and snowed in one stretch 18 days without stopping. Makes one stop and wonder how we’d fare under similar circumstances today.

January 8, 1976 – 50 Years Ago

Administering the oath of office to the first woman president in the history of the Goldendale Chamber of Commerce was Carl Crooks, president of the Chamber in 1937. Also in attendance at the installation of officers were 12 men, all former presidents of the Chamber. The former chief executives were Emmet Clouse, Jim Bridgefarmer, Charlie Wilson, Carl Crooks, Frank Knosher, Arvo Niemi, Dr. Howard Kubler, Jerry Sletten, H. J. Nielsen, Ort Olsen, Carl Witt, and Don Scofield.

January 8, 1987 – 39 Years Ago

Today, when people need to shop for a little bit of everything, they go to a massive indoor mall, with hundreds of different shops. But years ago in Centerville, people went to the Abshier and Niva, where they could get just about anything they needed. Today the same building is the Centerville Grocery and Post office, and people still come in to pick up the mail and sundry goods. Kay Campbell, who with her husband Marion, are the seventh owners of the building, which dates to World War I. After Abshier and Niva E.C. Sturgis bought the building in 1945, Sturgis sold the store to Henry Garner in 1948. About 1951 Tim and Audrey Hansen bought the store. Around 1955 the Hansens sold it to Howard and Patsy Palmer. The Campbells bought it in 1976. The Centerville Post Office moved into the grocery store during the Palmer era.

— Richard Lefever Klickitat County Historical Society

This picture has been colorized. No one was certain when or where this was, but one reader said he thought it was Celilo before the dam.

OpiniOn

Phil Nielsen was well known for his connection with The Sentinel well before I got here almost 17 years ago. Phil delivered our papers around downtown Goldendale, stopping in offices and businesses around town, including the courthouse and the hospital. He was an institution and the kind of person who made you smile when you saw him.

Phil passed away last week. His obituary is on page A6 in this week’s paper. We at The Sentinel feel his loss keenly.

Phil faced some challenges in his life, but in our office he was a pillar of fortitude and determination. That was particularly demonstrated when, some years ago, he went in for surgery that was supposed to make his life better. The surgery took a bizarre turn, and Phil came out of it with amputated fingertips and feet. Weeks later, Phil and his wife Ronda came in to the office, him on prosthetic legs and with a smile on his face.

Lou Marzeles, Editor

“I’ll be back to work, if you want me to,” Phil told me. “Might take a while.”

I told him to take all the time he needed and that if he felt he could do the job again, it was most certainly his.

Sadly, Phil didn’t make it back. But I will never forget his strength of spirit and desire to return to the position he loved. We would have moved heaven and earth to accommodate his return and help him remain the paper guy.

He didn’t just deliver papers. He was a vestige of the age of milk men, ice men before them, making his rounds and sharing well-wishes and news of families and friends. He’d come back to the office and give us feedback on the paper from his sources: one person “would like to see a little news about the state.” Another said “tell Andrew [our former sports writer] he did a great job on the that football story.” He was the village herald, a connection between the printed word and direct contact with those who read it.

He was, beneath all that, a good person. A cheery face. A man without guile, a what-you-see-is-whatyou-get man of simple ways and endearing manner. Like so many other people, we will miss Phil. He left an indellible mark on the world. It is a better place for his presence in it and for that gentle pain we feel when we recall we cannot see his face on this plane of existence any more.

Thanks for everything, Phil.

THE GOLDENDALE SENTINEL

Official newspaper of Klickitat County, Washington

Established 1879 • Published every Wednesday from offices at 117 W. Main Street • Goldendale, WA 98620 • Telephone: (509) 773-3777

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A fond farewell to Phil Nielsen, ‘the paper guy’ Deadlines: News and letters:

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Burn-out has got to go

The Festival of Wheels gave it another try this year. It seems the attendance has dwindled to much lower levels than when the event was new, 10 years ago. There are a lot of competing car shows this time of year, so it doesn’t surprise me . This year Goldendale Motorsports Association and ABATE brought back the burn-out, which was tried several times in the past with questionable benefits to the town. This year someone had the brilliant idea to use the old skateboard park as a place to stage the return of the burnout. It was held on the concrete slab, a tempting medium for anyone inclined to bum rubber. Rednecks of many degrees, punk kids or maybe the little old lady from Pasadena.

I personally was left with a bad taste in my mouth and lungs. Even though I made it a point to stay away from the burn-out and was at my home where I thought I would escape the noise and smoke, when the toxic cloud rose from the park and drifted over the Little Klickitat River Park (the swimming pool) on to the kids and families at the pool and on to me while I was sitting on my property. We were contaminated by the toxins in the smoke, and my eyes and throat were imitated, and my lungs filled with carbon monoxide and other cancer causing toxic compounds

for three hours. I think the city of Goldendale needs to rethink supporting burnouts in our park. Next year don’t issue a permit to any group that wants to burn-out. There are places in the county where it could be held, just not in the city please. I hate toxic smoke, and you should too.

On Sept 4 I will be asking the mayor and his administration to make an ordinance forbidding anyone from reckless unsafe burnouts in any ones neighborhood or any street in the Goldendale city limits. I would appreciate some support from like-minded citizens at the council meeting. Let them know how you feel.

Ken McKune Goldendale

C

I recently received an updated “Terms for Business and Deposit Account Agreement” from Columbia Bank. I am not in the habit of reading the fine print but for some reason this time I did. I came across an “added” line that I found very concerning. Again, this line is both for personal and business accounts. It reads: “We may refuse to open and account and may close your account at any time for any reason or for no reason at all.”

“For No Reason At All” I particularly found offensive.

I contacted the bank for an explanation. The answer was essentially that “we wouldn’t do that.” Then why is it in your documents, I asked. The answer was to send me up the chain of command. The second person gave the same answer as the first and then was to have me contacted by some-one higher up. That person has not contacted me after more than a week so I am following through on what I told the bank contacts I was going to do—write a letter to the editor to be sure local folks are aware of how Columbia Bank is choosing to deal with its account holders. My concern is that a comment as broad as this opens the door for abuse. I have had no difficulties with our local branch and am sorry that the headquarters has decided to take such a hard line. It ap-pears I will need to look for a bank that does not behave in this manner.

Ken Margraf Goldendale

Letters from the community

All lies

An ICE agent kills a 37-year-old mother driving a mini-van after dropping off her six-year-old child at school, and what does the Trump administration do? They call her a domestic terrorist. They assert she had “weaponized” her van. Trump himself claims that the woman hit the agent, and that the agent ended up in the hospital. Video recordings of the horrific killing prove that Trump and his apologists are lying. These despicable lies mock the concept of honesty and betray a complete lack of compassion, but

today’s GOP leadership asserts that “empathy is a weakness” and that America is a “predator” nation.

“We live in a world that is governed by strength, that is governed by power, that is governed by force,” Trump advisor Stephen Miller said after the U.S. invaded Venezuela to haul off its president, sending an explicit threat to the remaining Venezuelans—your oil or your life. With this amoral “might makes right” justification, the Trump regime executes people on boats, attempts to extort a NATO ally into giving up Greenland, suppresses the release of the Epstein files,

Guidelines for Letters

defies court orders—the list of travesties is long.

The last time I checked, cruelty, chaos, and corruption lack popular support. According to polls, increasing percentages of conservative voters are rejecting the Trump administration. These defectors demonstrate an alternate definition of strength: the ability to admit mistakes. If you’re still not sure about the Trump Administration, watch the video of the ICE agent killing the Minneapolis mother.

Rick George White Salmon

Letters to the editor should be original and comment on an issue. Deadline for letters is noon Monday for the same week’s paper.

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There is a suggested length limit of about 300 words.

Unsigned letters (including anonymity requests), letters with fictitious signatures, letters with multiple signatures, or letters to public officials are not accepted.

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Writers must include name, city/town of residence, and phone number for verification purposes. (Street address is not required, only city or town.)

Well done, Isabella

Here’s some great news regarding one of our outstanding Glenwood High School graduates. Isabella Bensel, daughter of Jason and Sarah and a sophomore at Walla Walla Community College, has consistently been named to the President’s List for her exceptional academic achievements. She has done it again. She was recently notified she had made the President’s List for the 2025 Fall Quarter at WWCC. In order to be awarded this honor, the student must maintain a GPA of 3.9 to 4.0. The President’s List reflects the highest distinction of scholarly excellence. That’s our Bella. We here in her home town are very proud of her. The Klickitat/Glenwood (Klickwood) boys’ basketball team continues to rack up great wins as the season progresses. Last Friday, January 9 and 10, they played well and had great wins against

H ometown 2026 legislative session gets underway

Trout Lake and Dufur. Monday night they played on the Klickitat home court against South Wasco County. This news had to be submitted prior to game time, so I’ll share results next week. It’s exciting to watch our Klickwood team, under the guidance of coaches Dion Curtis and Billie Patterson, because they are very unified and have great basketball skills. That applies to every member of the team, not just the starters. They sure make us proud. Their next home game on the Glenwood court will take place on Tuesday, January 20th against Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler. Game time is 6 p.m. Come on out and show your support for our hardworking, outstanding team. Here’s a reminder that school will be dismissed at noon on Wednesday the 14th. There will be no school on Monday, January 19, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday.

Jerry Cornfield and Bill luCia

Washington state standard

Washington state lawmakers begin a 60-day session today, in which a fiscal reckoning, flood recovery, and their own reelections loom large.

They departed Olympia last spring, fingers crossed that a colossus of budget problems had been defeated with a one-two punch of spending cuts and new taxes. It was not.

Adding to the difficulties: massive changes foisted upon states in the federal law dubbed “beautiful” by its Republican sponsors and “ugly” by its Democrat detractors.

Then came the havoc of December’s heavy rains and flooding. The financial toll for residents and public infrastructure is still being tallied. But it won’t be cheap. And it’s not clear yet that the Trump administration will step in with federal aid.

Meanwhile, Gov. Bob Ferguson came out last month in full support of an income tax on individuals earning over $1 million a year, setting up a major debate on tax policy.

Two controversial citizen initiatives are pending, but are dead on arrival in the Legislature and will likely go to voters in the fall.

Plus, policy debates are percolating on topics ranging from pennies to policing to pensions.

And it’s an election year. All 98 House seats and roughly half of the 49 Senate seats will be on ballots. Those sitting in them now know their votes in the next two months could determine if they will be back in 2027. Here are four questions for which we don’t know the answers, yet. How will they balance the budget?

When Ferguson arrived

Join the Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) park rangers, and their partners for the 16th Annual Eagle Watch event, January 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., to see bald eagles that congregate near the dam every winter.

The event will be held in two locations. Outdoor viewing of bald eagles will be held at the Dalles Dam Visitor Center and the indoor activities will be held at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum.

in office a year ago, he pegged the multi-year shortfall in the state operating budget at $12 billion, a figure he later upped to $16 billion. The first-term Democratic governor and the Democratic-run Legislature responded with spending cuts throughout state government and imposing billions of dollars in new and higher business taxes.

A year later, Ferguson says the state is facing another gap, this one at least $2.3 billion, between what Washington expects to collect in tax receipts and the amount needed to cover the state’s expenses through mid-2027. That doesn’t include the tab for the December floods.

Crafting a solution will be a challenge. Cutting deeper could undermine public services. But Republicans and others say if Democrats keep piling on taxes, it could drive people out of business or out of the state.  Ferguson has proposed very precise cuts as a fix this time around.

He also wants to move large sums of cash out of accounts where it’s not needed immediately. This includes using $569 million of Climate Commitment Act revenue to cover the expense of the Working Families Tax Credit for low- and middle-income households, and a proposal to siphon $1 billion from the state’s rainy day reserve fund.

Some Democrats are skeptical of using that much of the climate money on the tax credits, rather than spending it to reduce air pollution. Republicans balk at the rainy day fund drawdown.

Legislative budget writers will put out their blueprints in late February.

Will progressives get their income tax?

Ferguson delivered argu-

The Columbia River Gorge is a prime winter location for migrating eagles due to the abundance of food found along the Columbia River. It’s typical to see dozens of eagles from the visitor center parking lot and adjacent Seufert Park, which are both open to the public every day from dusk until dawn.

The Dalles Dam Visitor Center is currently closed through January but will be open the day of the event for eagle viewing. Rangers will be avail-

ably the session’s biggest news before the opening day gavel. It came last month with his call for taxing the income of those earning more than a million dollars a year. This is the same governor whose preaching of austerity at his inauguration 12 months ago drew glares from Democratic legislators.

Those turned to scowls when he publicly and privately rejected Democratic proposals for a so-called “wealth tax,” a statewide payroll tax on large employers and a higher cap on annual property tax collections by local governments.

With his embrace of an income tax, progressives’ frowns may be easing. But Ferguson attached strings to his support. That makes some of them wary of whether he’ll sign what is sent to him — presuming something is passed.

To survive, the tax will need to be designed to withstand an inevitable court challenge. Lawmakers are also looking at how to possibly funnel money from the tax to the Working Families Tax Credit or to underwrite various other forms of targeted tax relief. Deciding how to use the revenue could further complicate the debate.

There are election-year realities, too. While the governor is not on the ballot this year, most of the Democrats who would need to vote for the tax will be.

Will Heywood’s initiatives factor in?

Let’s Go Washington, the political committee led by hedge fund manager Brian Heywood, has become a perennial thorn in the side of majority Democrats in Olympia. The group is back this year with a new set of initiatives.

One would roll back changes Democrats made last year to the group’s 2024

able to answer questions, help people use spotting scopes (provided by the Corps), and teach basic bird identification tips.

This all-ages event is free and accessible to visitors with disabilities. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own scopes, binoculars, and cameras. Please note that inclement weather may cause the event to be rescheduled.

parental bill of rights initiative. The other would bar transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports. These are initiatives to the Legislature, meaning they go to lawmakers for consideration before possibly ending up on the ballot. Top Democrats made clear Friday that the initiatives will not get a hearing in the House or Senate this session, all but guaranteeing that they’ll go to voters to decide in November.  While the initiatives may be blocked legislatively, they could still pop up in the form of protests at the Capitol, or with Republicans finding ways to hammer on the wedge, culture war issues involved with an eye toward Election Day. How will Ferguson fare? Ferguson got off to a rocky start during his first session as governor, with staff drama and many Democrats miffed as he made a show of reaching out to Republicans and as he reined in progressive tax proposals.

This session is a moment when Ferguson will either succeed or fail in showing he’s a force that can drive the conversation and the priorities in Olympia.

Backing the income tax on high earners should build some goodwill among members on his party’s left flank, but it’ll also put him front and center in a Republican narrative that Washington Democrats are out of control on spending and have an endless appetite for taxes.

During last year’s session, Ferguson could readily fall back on the assertion that he inherited a budget blueprint—and budget troubles—from his predecessor, Jay Inslee. That kind of deflection will become increasingly difficult moving forward, as what’s happening now is squarely on his watch.

The Dalles Dam Visitor Center is located just north of Interstate 84 at exit 87, then east on Bret Clodfelter Way. For more information, contact The Dalles Lock and Dam ranger office at 541-506-7857 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ PortlandCorps/. The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum is located at 5000 Discovery Dr., The Dalles, OR. To learn more about raptor viewing and educational opportunities in the Columbia Gorge area, check out the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum at www.gorgediscovery.org.

O BITUA RY

Philip Boyd Nielsen

Phil Nielsen of Goldendale, Washington passed away January 3, 2026, in Vancouver, Washington. Phil was born March 24, 1967, and was 58 years of age at the time of passing. He was born to Alan and Peggy (Brokaw) Nielsen in Edmonds, Washington. He died early Saturday morning at the age of 58 at Salmon Creek Legacy Hospital. He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). He graduated from Cascade High School in 1986 and shortly thereafter served a church mission to the Phoenix, Arizona, mission from 1986 to 1988.

He married his wife, Ronda, in the Seattle LDS temple on May 28, 1993. They moved to Goldendale in August 1997, settling on a portion of his grandfather’s farm property.

He worked for The Goldendale Sentinel as a newspaper delivery man for almost 20 years until, due to complications of surgery, he was unable to return to his cherished paper routes. He loved to deliver to the elderly, as he could hand-deliver the newspaper and chat with them for a few minutes.

Phil had a huge heart and would do anything and everything he could to help those in need of assistance or just a smile to warm their days. When he delivered the Sentinel to Klickitat Valley Health, he would whistle bird sounds to let everyone know that he had arrived with their weekly newspaper. He was known around

town as “the paper guy.”

He loved to collect coins; to solve jigsaw puzzles; to play video games on his telephone, to watch Game Show Network on TV; and playing with his Boston terriers, Tucker and Booth. He also loved making people laugh—people cannot talk about him without laughing at his stories and quirkiness. His greatest love was taking care of his beloved wife.

He is survived by his wife, Ronda, of 32 years; his mother, Peggy Nielsen; brothers, Rick (Lorraine) Nielsen, Stephen (Glenda) Nielsen, Timothy (Lisa) Nielsen, Charlie (Umaporn) Nielsen; sister Leona (Brad) Lasher; “adopted” sister, Miranda Whitehead; and numerous nieces, nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews. He is preceded in death by his father, Alan Nielsen, and brothers Peter Nielsen and Michol Nielsen.

All are welcome to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Goldendale on January 17, 2026, for viewing immediately prior to funeral services to be held on January 17, 2026, at 1 pm. His body will be interred in the IOOF Cemetery in Goldendale.

Arrangements are under the direction of Columbia Hills Memorial Chapel, 300 W. Broadway Street, Goldendale, Washington, (509) 772-2636. Visit www. gardnerFH.com to share a story or leave a note for family.

Walter Reynolds

MOTEL from page A1

DISTRICT from page A1 roles to support better guest experiences and day-to-day operations. We’re especially interested in people who take pride in hospitality, cleanliness, and professionalism. Interested applicants can contact us on our website.

Sentinel: Are you also running the U-Haul business? If so, what can you tell me about that?

Culver: The U-Haul operation is part of our on-site services, and we’re committed to making it reliable, well-managed, and convenient for local residents and

small businesses—with a focus on clear communication, organized operations, and consistent service for those who need trailers, moving vehicles, or products for their moving projects. We realized the closest dealerships were in Rufus or The Dalles, so we wanted to provide this service locally because there is a need. We are open six days a week, Monday through Saturday. For more information, call (509) 773-5842 or book online at ponderosamotelgoldendale.com.

in violation of state industrial insurance and anti discrimination statutes. Taylor also attempted to raise broader workplace concerns with Human Resources, but because Meagher was the subject of those concerns, she initially avoided sharing details with him and was repeatedly blocked from direct HR contact, according to the filing. When she finally submitted a letter to HR on July 14, 2025, she later received what purported to be a response from Meagher dated July 2—12 days earlier—which her attorney alleges was backdated and “contrived” to undermine her credibility and justify further adverse treatment.

Allegations about grants, records, and cultural resources

Beyond the harassment claims, the notice raises what it describes as “serious concerns” about grant billing, timesheet practices, and compliance with grant contracts under Meagher’s supervision. Staff were required to keep detailed daily logs tied to specific grants, but the filing alleges Meagher routinely altered

COUNTY from page A1

Compliance, Economic Development, and Natural Resources under the Planning Department, with the idea that the county can create a new, as yet unnamed, one-stop-shop for development. In the future, Planning Director Scott Edelman would report monthly on activities of those departments to commissioners at their workshop sessions. Reports on transportation from Senior Services are currently on a quarterly schedule, and that will stay the same.

“For all the other departments,” Van Cleave said, “Fiscal Services, Department of Corrections, Human Resources Coordinator, Coroner, IT, 911, and Washington State University, I would propose to put

FOSTER from page A1

with unspecified “workplace misconduct” has damaged his professional reputation and future employability in the public sector.

The claim seeks damages for lost wages, emotional distress, reputational harm, and diminished career prospects, valued at “not less than $3,000,000.”

Accompanying the tort claim is a preservation notice demanding the county preserve all relevant evidence, including emails, text messages, personnel files, meeting

submitted timesheets to reassign hours to different grants or even other conservation districts, a practice former employees say has gone on for more than five years. The notice further alleges that Meagher “knowingly and intentionally” told employees, including Taylor, to disregard cultural resource protection provisions at job sites contained in grant contracts. Her attorney argues that such directives risk damage to protected heritage sites, violate state and federal requirements, jeopardize public trust, and could expose the district to regulatory penalties and loss of funding, suggesting “misallocation of public grant funds and potential financial improprieties.”

Claimed harm, legal theories, and agency actions

Taylor reports severe stress, anxiety, and worsening of a known medical condition, which the notice says the district failed to reasonably accommodate or address through any interactive process. She went on approved leave until October 2025

under the county administrator update.

“If any issue requires an action item or more in-depth discussion, then we would schedule that separately so the public would know that that’s a separate issue.”

The theme for the formal afternoon session was one of continuity and stability. Ron Ihrig was re-elected as chair and Todd Andrews as vice chair, and the board decided to maintain most committee assignments to preserve their “good working order” and not disrupt ongoing projects.

Under the consent agenda, commissioners approved:

• A list of projects, including: Guardrail Upgrades, CRP 390, Fish Hatchery Rd Culvert, CRP 391, Old Hwy 8-Slide Repair, CRP 392,

recordings, and documents from county commissioners, HR officials, and the prosecutor’s office.

The preservation notice specifically requests records relating to several matters, including an investigation involving County Commissioner Lori Zoller, reorganization of the Community Services Department, communications about Foster’s military status dating back to 2022, and the hiring of Scott Edelman to a community development leadership role that Foster was

and, given what her attorney calls “continuing hostile conditions” and fear of further unlawful treatment, she considers it impossible to return to her position; the notice characterizes this as a virtual discharge.

The filing asserts multiple causes of action under Washington law, including sexual harassment and hostile work environment; retaliation for reporting harassment and unsafe practices; negligent hiring, supervision, and retention of Meagher; whistleblower retaliation tied to grant and cultural resource concerns; and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Taylor is seeking compensatory damages for lost wages and benefits, medical expenses, and emotional distress, and her attorney notes that punitive damages may be available under federal law, along with attorney fees and costs. She also filed an Industrial Insurance Discrimination Complaint with L&I and a charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

CKCD and attorney responses

Middle Road, CRP 393, Bickleton Hwy, CRP 394, Pine Creek Bridge, Rail Retrofit, CRP 395, White Plastic Edge Lines, CRP 396, Inlaid Plastic Pavement Markings, CRP 397, Guardrail Upgrades, CRP 398, Curve Warning Sign Upgrades, CRP 399

• The recommendations of the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee on awarding Lodging Tax funds: $70,495 to the Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce for four separate projects; $45,000 to the Goldendale Chamber of Commerce; $5,000 to Maryhill Museum; $4,400 to the Alder Creek Pioneer Association for two projects; $4,000 for the Klickitat County Fair Board; $2,000 to ABATE; $500 for the Economic Development

In a written comment last week, Meagher stated the CKCD “does not comment on pending or potential litigation” but said both the EEOC and L&I “reviewed Ms. Taylor’s allegations and declined to act on them,” adding that if Taylor files suit, “the District will address her allegations at that time.”

Taylor’s attorney, Justin Leigh, disputed that characterization, saying Taylor affirmatively requested a Notice of Right to Sue from the EEOC instead of an agency investigation, meaning the federal agency did not make any determination on the merits of her claims. Regarding L&I, he says the state agency conducted only a narrow review of her industrial insurance discrimination complaint and found insufficient evidence of a legal violation in that specific context, but it did not evaluate or have jurisdiction over her broader tort allegations. He also notes that “the parties are actively working to resolve this matter short of litigation” and expresses hope for a resolution that “allows everyone to move forward.”

Department, and $375 to the Broken Spur Rodeo. Applications submitted by Goldendale Creative Community, Goldendale Christmas Committee, and Old Hwy 97 Cruisers did not meet the criteria for funding

• 2026 Lodging Tax Tourism Promotion Grants

• Behavioral Health Designated Crisis Responders Contracts Amendment

• Health Department WIC Contracts Addendum

• 2026 Economic Development Support Service Agreement with Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce for $10,000

• 2026 Economic Development Support Services with the Greater Goldendale Area Chamber of Commerce for $10,000

allegedly prevented from seeking. County officials have not yet publicly responded to the claim. Under state law, the county has 60 days to respond before Foster can file a lawsuit in court.

From classroom to pulpit: Matt Merfeld steps into pastoral leadership

Erica Kingsbury

For The SenTinel

The sanctuary at Bickleton Evangelical Community Church was full on October 26, 2025, as the congregation gathered for a milestone, years in the making: the installation of longtime community member and former teacher and coach Matt Merfeld, who spent decades in education in the region, as the church’s new pastor. For Merfeld, the moment marked a meaningful shift— from serving students in the classroom to serving families from the pulpit.

Merfeld grew up in Kirkland and never imagined he would one day serve as a community pastor. After earning a bachelor’s degree in technology education from Central Washington University and a master’s degree in education from Heritage University, his path seemed clearly set in education.

During his freshman year of college, another defining chapter of his life began when he met his wife, Crystal. The two happened to

sit next to each other in the only open seats in an English class—a small moment that would shape the rest of his life. After marrying, the couple settled in Crystal’s hometown of Bickleton, where they built their life together as educators. Merfeld spent one year teaching at McLaughlin Middle School in Pasco before beginning a 27-year career as a STEM instructor at Goldendale High School. In 2019, the school’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program, led by Merfeld, received the STEM Lighthouse Award. While teaching at Goldendale High School, he also spent many years coaching football. After retiring from public education, he continued teaching for five years at Integrity Driving School in Sunnyside. Crystal taught at Bickleton Elementary School for 27 years before retiring in 2024.

For years, life followed a steady rhythm—teaching, coaching, raising their children, and serving the community and church. That rhythm changed, Merfeld

said, when he heard what he describes as an audible call from God to serve in ministry. “I heard His voice call me, and He cleared the path, making it obvious where I belonged,” Merfeld said, describing how he was first called into ministry.

That calling led him toward pastoral ministry, a route he never expected to take. With the encouragement and support of his family, along with

prayer and guidance from trusted friends and mentors, Merfeld applied for the pastor position in late February 2025, a little more than two years after the church’s previous pastor retired. Following a unanimous recommendation from the church’s nominating committee, Merfeld was selected for the role and began serving in June 2025 as director of spiritual care, a position that

included full-time preaching while he completed the required examination process. After successfully passing his examination in early October, Merfeld was formally installed as pastor later that month.

As Merfeld steps into his new role at the church he, Crystal, and their two children have attended for decades, he said he looks forward to growth within both the church and the broader community. His hope for those who walk through the church doors on Sunday mornings is that they experience “a warm, friendly invitation into a place where everyone is welcome—a place to hear the gospel preached, to learn the truth, and to grow closer to Christ in love.”

Now at the helm, Merfeld’s vision for Bickleton Evangelical Community Church centers on connection, growth and outreach—strengthening relationships, nurturing spiritual development, and expanding the church’s presence and service within the broader community through outreach and local engage-

ment while remaining a place for all generations.

The journey to pastoral leadership was a unique one, shaped entirely within the congregation itself—members who did not simply welcome a new pastor, but had unknowingly trained and raised one up from within their own church family.

For Merfeld, that journey is deeply personal. The same community he now serves played a formative role in his own faith, shaping not only his leadership but also his life and family. Members of the congregation who now sit in the pews were once the ones guiding him toward the church, mentoring him, and walking alongside him as he grew in his personal relationship with Christ. “That is exactly what I want to give back,” Merfeld said.

Bickleton Evangelical Community Church offers Sunday School for all ages at 9:30 a.m., followed by a worship service at 10:55 a.m. More information is available at bickletonchurch.org or on the church’s Facebook page.

Judge tosses counties’ lawsuit on funding for public defenders

WaShingTon

STaTe STandard

A Thurston County judge has dismissed a legal challenge to Washington’s system of covering the cost of counsel for criminal defendants who can’t afford an attorney.

The Washington State Association of Counties and three counties—Lincoln, Pacific, and Yakima—sued the state last fall, alleging inadequate state funding leaves counties unable to provide constitutionally adequate defense services for indigent individuals.

But Thurston County Superior Court Judge Allyson Zipp dismissed the lawsuit March 22, agreeing with state attorneys that the counties lacked standing to sue. She ruled from the bench and is expected to issue a written

order in the coming days.

While acknowledging serious challenges facing the public defense system, she said only individual indigent criminal defendants, not counties can assert claims.

The right to sue “rests with the individuals whose rights are purportedly being violated and those individuals are best positioned to establish how those rights are being violated and to advocate for the remedy to address those alleged violations,” according to the proposed order Zipp is expected to sign. She read portions from the bench.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson did not comment on the outcome. “Public defenders play a critical role in our justice system,” he said in a statement. “I respect and support the important

work they do.”

Once Zipp issues a signed order, the counties will have 30 days to file an appeal.

Revising the complaint and refiling is also an option, said Eric Johnson, executive director of the state association of counties.

Or they could look to 2025 to press lawmakers and the next governor for more funding.

Counties received no boost in aid in the supplemental budget passed this last session.

There is $1 million for various statewide efforts to increase the ranks of public defenders, including encouraging recent law school graduates or law students who are eligible to practice as legal interns to work in rural areas where the lack of counsel is most pronounced.

“They left out a lot of extra zeros to fix their benign neglect of their constitutional responsibility,” Johnson said.

How it works

The U.S. Constitution and the Washington state Constitution guarantee court-appointed counsel for indigent defendants facing criminal prosecutions.

In Washington, the state picks up the tab for civil commitment actions where people are sent to psychiatric hospitals, representing parents in cases involving child custody, and handling appeals of indigent defendants, according to the suit.

Counties are left to cover legal defense costs for poor defendants in criminal prosecutions. It’s eating up larger chunks of local government budgets as cases multiply

State gets $181M in rural health funding

JaKE goldstEin-strEEt

WaShingTon STaTe STandard

Washington is set to receive $181 million in federal funding this year to boost rural health care amid drastic Medicaid cuts.

The hefty sum falls below what the Trump administration gave to some other states, and the rough average of $200 million to each. But the state is in the middle of the pack when it comes to funding per rural resident.

The return on Washington’s application for $1 billion over the next five years from the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program didn’t necessarily come as a shock.

“I don’t think anyone was surprised that we received less than 200,” said Jacqueline Barton True, the Washington State Hospital Association’s vice president of advocacy and rural health.

“We certainly internally had operated under the impression that we weren’t going to get $200 million.”

To Elya Prystowsky, the executive director of the Rural Collaborative, the award was a “pleasant surprise.”

“I would have been happy if we got $100 million,” said Prystowsky, whose organization represents Washington’s

rural hospitals. “So $181 million is $81 million of gravy, as far as I’m concerned.”

Texas topped the list of funding recipients with $281 million, but the state has over 30 million residents compared to 8 million in Washington.

Alaska got the next largest share, $272 million, followed by California and Montana, both with about $233 million.  Democratic-led states tended to fare worse than those run by Republicans. Less rural states also got less money.

Half of the $50 billion fund will be evenly distributed to all states with approved applications. But assessing how the rest of the money is distributed is complicated because it factors in the number of rural residents and medical facilities in each state, among other things.

Washington, which is less rural than many other states, was in the bottom 10 for funding awarded last week. The state has also had a tense relationship with the Trump administration and is at odds with it on health policy issues.

Here, the hospital association will help dole out infrastructure funding the state receives as part of the federal program. The association’s Barton True expects the state

to start spending the money within a couple months.

If the award stays the same over the next five years, Washington would receive about $906 million. But the money states get will be recalculated each year.

Washington aims to use the money for an array of initiatives to not just boost rural hospital finances but reshape the health care system in these communities.

This includes investing in new technologies, growing the rural health workforce, improving health care in tribal communities, building more communitybased care and expanding the rural behavioral health system. Over $300 million was earmarked for hospital infrastructure in the state’s application.

“We could do a lot of good work with $181 million,” Prystowsky said.

It’s unclear what work may be on the chopping block due to the lower-than-requested funding.

The state Health Care Authority is working to trim its budget plan, but not eliminate any ideas entirely. That revised plan is due to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services by the end of the month.

“Although our state did not receive the full amount

requested, we remain committed to improving the health and wellbeing of people living in rural Washington,” Health Care Authority spokesperson Rachelle Alongi said in an email.

Congress created the new funding stream to help make up for heavy cuts to Medicaid that are expected to disproportionately hurt rural health care providers. Advocates say the $50 billion won’t fill the gap Republicans created last year with their socalled “big, beautiful bill,” which reduced Medicaid spending to help offset the expense of lowering taxes.

“This funding will not replace the dramatic cuts imposed by the Republicanled Congress and the White House,” Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said in a statement, “but these funds will help fortify rural communities against what’s to come. It is a significant investment in Washington’s rural health care.”

In Washington’s rural communities, federal spending from Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income Americans, is set to drop over $4 billion in the next decade, according to an analysis by nonpartisan health research group KFF.

The sums from the rural health fund per rural resi-

and get more complex and time-consuming. Too many cases, too few lawyers and too little funding imperil the ability of local governments to provide timely, equitable and effective counsel to every person unable to afford a lawyer, the counties contend.

Not a new fight

The ACLU is familiar with this debate and has challenged the shortcomings in the delivery of public defense services in Idaho, Nevada, Missouri and other states.

Washington too. A 2011 case against the cities of Mount Vernon and Burlington ended with a federal judge ruling against the cities, leading them to beef up funding of legal services.

Another case, Davison v. State of Washington, centered on the constitutional

dent varied widely across states, according to a KFF analysis released Tuesday.

Despite relatively modest awards, New Jersey and Rhode Island are getting the most dollars per resident in rural communities, according to KFF.

While big states like California and Texas and some states in the Midwest are getting under $100 per resident. Washington’s award is $162 for each of its 1.1 million rural residents, the KFF data show, landing the state 29th on the list of awards when using that metric.

Zachary Levinson, the lead author of the KFF analysis, noted 10 states are receiving less than $100 per rural resident, while eight states received more than $500.

A demerit for Washington also came from its align-

adequacy of services to juvenile offenders in Grays Harbor County. The case reached the Washington state Supreme Court where justices acknowledged the overwhelmed system though they did not find the state responsible in the specific case.

ACLU Washington isn’t taking sides in the counties’ legal fight with the state. Its focus, the group’s attorneys said, is assuring the system operates in a manner that ensures individuals can defend themselves in a thorough and effective way.

“It is not about whether the state pays or the county pays,” said ACLU staff attorney David Montes. “If you’re prosecuting people, you have to assure they have adequate counsel. It doesn’t matter who pays.”

ment—or lack thereof—with the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” policies. These policies include reestablishing the Presidential Fitness Test and restricting how federal food stamp benefits  can be spent.

A Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services spokesperson said the funding amounts were based on a formula that includes a “combination of datadriven factors, merit review of RHT plans, and objective evaluation of state policy actions and commitments to those policies.”

“CMS did not require states to adopt any specific policy to receive funding, and politics played no role in funding decisions,” the spokesperson said Tuesday.

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR KLICKITAT COUNTY

In the Estate of: WAYNE L. COX, Deceased. NO. 25-4-00078-20

PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS

RCW 11.40.020, 11.40.030

The Personal Representative named below has been appointed as Personal Representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, prior to the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Personal Representative or the Personal Representative attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the Court. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the Personal Representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(3); or (2) Four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and RCW 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the probate assets and nonprobate assets of the decedent.

DATE OF FIRST PUBLICA-

TION: January 31, 2025

Irma G. Cox

Personal Representative

Brian H. Wolfe, WSBA #04306 Attorney for Personal Representative

Brian H. Wolfe, P.C.

2210 W. Main St., Suite 107238 Battle Ground, WA 98604

Phone: (360)903-8177 (5316, 0104, 0201)

PUBLIC NOTICE

Klickitat County Board of Health will hold a regular meeting on the following dates: Tuesday January 20, 2026 at 2:00 pm Tuesday May 19, 2026 at 2:00 pm Tuesday August 18, 2026 at 2:00 pm Tuesday November 10, 2026 at 2:00 pm Please call the Klickitat County Health Department with any questions at 509-7734565 Teleconference via Zoom Meeting ID 586587651 (0105, 0202) IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF KING

In re The Estate of Gary C. Clouse, Deceased No. 25-4-06389-2 SEA NOTICE TO CREDITORS

(RCW 11.40.030)

The Person named below has been appointed as Personal Representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Personal Representative or its attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court. The claim must be presented within the later of: (a) Thirty days after the personal representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(3); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim will be forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and non-probate assets.

Date of First Publication: January 7, 2026. Personal Representative: SHANNA MICHELLE (CLOUSE) PEEK

Attorney for Personal Representative: Sophie Delane

Asher Address for Mailing or Service: 1833 N. 105th St., Suite 101, Seattle, WA 98133 /s/ SOPHIE DELANE ASHER SOPHIE DELANE ASHER

N otices

Attorney for SHANNA MICHELLE (CLOUSE) PEEK, Personal Representative (0107, 0203, 0301)

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE

TS #: 25-75401

Title Order #: 3587624

Grantor: ERIC SCHALK AND HEATHER WAGNER

Current beneficiary of the deed of trust: Freedom Mortgage Corporation

Current trustee of the deed of trust: North Star Trustee, LLC

Current mortgage servicer for the deed of trust: Freedom Mortgage Corporation Reference number of the deed of trust: 1151515

Parcel Number(s): 02132154000600

I. NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that the undersigned Trustee, North Star Trustee, LLC will on 1/23/2026, at 10:00 AM at on the front steps main entrance Klickitat County Courthouse, 205 W Columbus Ave, Goldendale, WA 98620 sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder, payable at the time of sale, the following described real property, situated in the County of Klickitat, State of Washington, to-wit: LOT 6, NEWCASTLE SUBDIVISION PHASE I, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, RECORDED NOVEMBER 12, 1996, IN BOOK 6, PAGE 15, AUDITOR’S FILE NO. 256612, KLICKITAT COUNTY PLAT RECORDS, IN THE COUNTY OF KLICKITAT AND STATE OF WASHINGTON Commonly known as: 5 NEW CASTLE RD DALLESPORT, WA 98617 which is subject to that certain Deed of Trust dated 11/12/2021, recorded 11/15/2021, as Instrument No. 1151515, records of Klickitat County, Washington, from ERIC SCHALK AND HEATHER WAGNER, as Grantor(s), to AMERITITLE, as Trustee, to secure an obligation in favor of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (“MERS”), as designated nominee for CARDINAL FINANCIAL COMPANY, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, beneficiary of the security instrument, its successors and assigns, as Beneficiary, the beneficial interest in which was assigned to Freedom Mortgage Corporation, under an Assignment recorded under Auditor’s File No. 1168392.

II. No action commenced by the Beneficiary of the Deed of Trust is now pending to seek satisfaction of the obligation in any Court by reason of the Borrower’s or Grantor’s default on the obligation secured by the Deed of Trust. III. The default(s) for which this foreclosure is made is/are as follows: Failure to pay when due the following amounts which are now in arrears: PAYMENT INFORMATION FROM THRU NO.PMT AMOUNT TOTAL

9/1/2024-07/31/2025, 11, $2,088.89, $22,977.79 8/1/2025-09/23/2025 2 $2,114.58 $4,229.16 Corporate Advances: $2,622.00 Property Inspection Fee: $75.00

PROMISSORY NOTE INFORMATION Note Dated: 11/12/2021 Note Amount: $321,222.00 Interest Paid To: 8/1/2024 Next Due Date: 9/1/2024

IV. The sum owing on the obligation secured by the Deed of Trust is: Principal $302,986.73, together with interest as provided in the note or other instrument secured from 8/1/2024, and such other costs and fees as are due under the note or other instrument secured, and as are provided by statute.

V. The above-described real property will be sold to satisfy the expense of sale and the obligation secured by the Deed of Trust as provided by statute. The sale will be made without warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances on 1/23/2026. The default(s) referred to in Paragraph III must be cured by 1/12/2026, (11 days before the sale date) to cause a discontinuance of the sale. The sale will be discontinued and terminated if at any time before 1/12/2026 (11 days before the sale) the default as set forth in Paragraph III is cured and the Trustee’s

This Just In....

• Notice of Public Meeting: Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities of Southwest Washington

• Legal Notice: Logic and Accuracy Test February 10, 2026 - Klickitat County Auditor’s Office

Summons: Unknown Heirs, Successors And/Or Assigns Of Jeanie Davidson - Shaw Law Group

Notice of Public Hearing: CUP 2025-03 White Salmon Valley Pool Metro Park and Recreation DistrictKlickitat County Planning Department

Notice of Trustee’s Sale: 110 Railroad Ave, Wishram

Martha Ninotti: The Stox Group

• Public Notice: 2026 Call for Salmon Habitat Project Applications - Klickitat County Natural Resources Department

fees and costs are paid. Payment must be in cash or with cashiers or certified checks from a State or federally chartered bank. The sale may be terminated any time after the 1/12/2026 (11 days before the sale date) and before the sale, by the Borrower or Grantor or the holder of any recorded junior lien or encumbrance paying the entire principal and interest secured by the Deed of Trust, plus costs, fees, and advances, if any, made pursuant to the terms of the obligation and/or Deed of Trust, and curing all other defaults.

VI. A written Notice of Default was transmitted by the Beneficiary or Trustee to the Borrower and Grantor at the following addresses: NAME ADDRESS

ERIC SCHALK AKA ERIC D

SCHALK 5 NEW CASTLE

RD DALLESPORT, WA 98617

ERIC SCHALK AKA ERIC D

SCHALK 5 NEW CASTLE

RD, PO BOX 3

DALLESPORT, WA 98617

ERIC SCHALK AKA ERIC D

SCHALK PO BOX 345

WHITE SALMON, WA 98672

HEATHER WAGNER 5 NEW CASTLE RD

DALLESPORT, WA 98617

HEATHER WAGNER 5 NEW CASTLE RD, PO BOX 3

DALLESPORT, WA 98617

HEATHER WAGNER PO BOX 345

WHITE SALMON, WA 98672 by both first class and certified mail on 8/8/2025, proof of which is in the possession of the Trustee; and the Borrower and Grantor were personally served 8/8/2025, with said written Notice of Default or the written Notice of Default was posted in a conspicuous place on the real property described in Paragraph I above, and the Trustee has possession of proof of such service or posting.

VII. The Trustee whose name and address are set forth below will provide in writing to anyone requesting it, a statement of all costs and fees due at any time prior to the sale. VIII. The effect of the sale will be to deprive the Grantor and all those who hold by, through or under the Grantor of all their interest in the above described property.

IX. Anyone having any objections to this sale on any grounds whatsoever will be afforded an opportunity to be heard as to those objections if they bring a lawsuit to restrain the sale pursuant to RCW 61.24.130. Failure to bring such a lawsuit may result in a waiver of any proper grounds for invalidating the Trustee’s sale.

• NOTICE TO OCCUPANTS OR TENANTS – The purchaser at the Trustee’s Sale is entitled to possession of the property on the 20th day following the sale, as against the Grantor under the deed of trust (the owner) and anyone having an interest junior to the deed of trust, including occupants and tenants. After the 20th day following the sale the purchaser has the right to evict occupants and tenants by summary proceedings under the Unlawful Detainer Act, Chapter 59.12 RCW. For tenant-occupied property, the purchaser shall provide a tenant with written notice in accordance with RCW 61.24.060. THIS NOTICE IS THE FINAL STEP BEFORE THE FORECLOSURE SALE OF YOUR HOME.

You have only until 90 calendar days BEFORE the date of sale listed in this Notice of Trustee Sale to be referred to mediation. If this is an amended Notice of Trustee Sale providing a 45-day notice of the sale, mediation must be requested no later than

NOTARY PUBLIC in and for the State of Washington, residing at Mountlake Terrace, WA My commission expires 7/11/2029 EPP 45206 Pub Dates 12/24 & 01/14/2026 (5210, 0204)

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

The Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities of Southwest Washington Bi-monthly Meeting of the Council of Governments Friday January 23, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. 201 NE 73rd Street, Vancouver WA 98665

25 calendar days BEFORE the date of sale listed in this amended Notice of Trustee Sale.

DO NOT DELAY. CONTACT A HOUSING COUNSELOR OR AN ATTORNEY LICENSED IN WASHINGTON NOW to assess your situation and refer you to mediation if you are eligible and it may help you save your home. See below for safe sources of help. SEEKING ASSISTANCEHousing counselors and legal assistance may be available at little or no cost to you. If you would like assistance in determining your rights and opportunities to keep your house, you may contact the following: The statewide foreclosure hotline for assistance and referral to housing counselors recommended by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission: Toll-free: 1-877-894HOME (1-877-894-4663)

https://www.homeownershipwa.org/

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development: Toll-free: 1-800-569-4287 Local counseling agencies in Washington: https://answers.hud. gov/housingcounseling/ s/?language=en_US

The statewide civil legal aid hotline for assistance and referrals to other housing counselors and attorneys Toll-free: 1-800-606-4819 https://nwjustice.org/home

Línea directa estatal sobre ejecuciones hipotecarias para obtener asistencia y derivación a asesores de vivienda recomendados por la Comisión de Financiamiento de Vivienda del estado de Washington (Housing Finance Commission): Teléfono: 1-877-894HOME (1-877-894-4663) Sitio web: https://www.homeownership-wa.org/ Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de los Estados Unidos (Department of Housing and Urban Development): Teléfono: 1-800-569-4287 Sitio web: https://answers.hud. gov/housingcounseling/ s/?language=en_US Línea directa estatal de asistencia legal civil para obtener asistencia y derivaciones a otros asesores de vivienda y abogados: Teléfono: 1-800606-4819 Sitio web: https:// nwjustice.org/home

This office is enforcing a security interest of your creditor. To the extent that your obligation has been discharged by a bankruptcy court or is subject to an automatic stay of bankruptcy, this notice is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a demand for payment or any attempt to collect such obligation.

DATED: 09/16/2025

North Star Trustee, LLC, as Trustee Kellie Barnes, Trustee Sale Officer

Address for service: North Star Trustee, LLC 6100 219th ST SW, Suite 480 Mountlake Terrace, Washington 98043

Trustee Phone No: (206) 8665345

Trustee Fax No: (206) 3742252

Trustee Email: info@northstartrustee.com

Beneficiary / Servicer Phone: 855-690-5900/317-537-3821

STATE OF WASHINGTON COUNTY OF SNOHOMISH

ss. I certify that I know or have satisfactory evidence that Kellie Barnes is the person who appeared before me, and said person acknowledged that she signed this instrument, on oath stated that she was authorized to execute the instrument and acknowledged it as the Trustee Sale Officer of North Star Trustee, LLC to be the free and voluntary act of such party for the uses and purposes mentioned in the instrument.

Dated: 09/16/2025

Theresa Stearns

Persons with a disability should call (360) 735-5721 three days before the meeting to discuss accommodation. (0205)

LEGAL NOTICE

The Logic and Accuracy Test of the programming to be used for the accessible voting units in the February 10, 2026 Special Election will be held January 20, 2026 from 9:00 A.M. until 10:30 A.M., or until completed.

The Logic and Accuracy Test of the programming to be used for ballot tabulation in the Special Election will be held January 20, 2026 at 11:00 A.M.

The public is invited to observe these tests in the Auditor’s Office located at 205 S. Columbus Ave. Room 203, Goldendale, WA 98620. Additional information may be obtained by phone (509) 773-4001 or (800) 583-8050 and by visiting www.klickitatcounty.gov/1109/ Auditor.

Dated this 8th day of January, 2026.

Elaynna James, Klickitat County Chief Deputy Auditor (0206)

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON FOR THE COUNTY OF KLICKITAT STEVE JOHNSTON, a single person, and LYLE PROPERTIES, INC., a Washington chartered corporation Plaintiffs v. UNKNOWN HEIRS, SUCCESSORS AND/OR ASSIGNS OF JEANIE DAVIDSON, DECEASED, AND ALL PERSONS OR PARTIES CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, ESTATE, LIEN OR INTEREST IN THE REAL PROPERTY AT 515 JOHNSTON AVE., LYLE WASHINGTON, 98635, COUNTY OF KLICKITAT, PARCEL NO. 0312-3454-010500 Defendants Case No.: 25-2-00291-20 SUMMONS THE STATE OF WASHINGTON to the said HEIRS, SUCCESSORS AND/OR ASSIGNS OF JEANIE DAVIDSON, DECEASED, AND ALL PERSONS OR PARTIES CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, ESTATE, LIEN OR INTEREST IN THE REAL PROPERTY AT 515 JOHNSTON AVE., LYLE WASHINGTON, 98635, COUNTY OF KLICKITAT, PARCEL NO. 0312-3454-010500

You are hereby summoned to appear within sixty days after the date of the first publication of this summons, to wit, within sixty days after the 14th day of January, 2026 and defend the above entitled action in the above entitled court, and answer the complaint of the Plaintiffs Steve Johnson, and Lyle Properties, Inc., and serve a copy of your answer upon the undersigned attorney for plaintiffs, at his office below stated; and in care of your failure to do so, judgment will be rendered against you according to the demand of the complaint, which has been filed with the clerk of said court, seeking to quiet title to the said real property at 515 Johnston Ave, Lyle W 98635, Klickitat County Parcel No. 0312-3454-010500, and establish plaintiffs’ sole ownership of said property.

Dated this 12th day of January 2026 . SHAW LAW GROUP /s/ David D. Shaw David D. Shaw, WSB No. 25959 P.O. Box 12050 Portland, OR 97212 503.221.4260 (tel); 503.221.4267 (fax) david@shaw-law.net

Attorney for Plaintiff (0208, 0303, 0402, 0502, 0602, 0702)

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON FOR THE COUNTY OF KLICKITAT STEVE JOHNSTON, a single person, and LYLE PROPERTIES, INC., a Washington chartered corporation Plaintiffs v. UNKNOWN HEIRS, SUCCESSORS AND/OR ASSIGNS OF JEANIE DAVIDSON, DECEASED, AND ALL PERSONS OR PARTIES CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, ESTATE, LIEN OR INTEREST IN THE REAL PROPERTY AT 515 JOHNSTON AVE., LYLE WASHINGTON, 98635, COUNTY OF KLICKITAT, PARCEL NO. 0312-3454-010500

Defendants Case No.: 25-2-00291-20 SUMMONS THE STATE OF WASHINGTON to the said HEIRS, SUCCESSORS AND/OR ASSIGNS OF JEANIE DAVIDSON, DECEASED, AND ALL PERSONS OR PARTIES CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, ESTATE, LIEN OR INTEREST IN THE REAL PROPERTY AT 515 JOHNSTON AVE., LYLE WASHINGTON, 98635, COUNTY OF KLICKITAT, PARCEL NO. 0312-3454-010500

You are hereby summoned to appear within sixty days after the date of the first publication of this summons, to wit, within sixty days after the 14th day of January, 2026 and defend the above entitled action in the above entitled court, and answer the complaint of the Plaintiffs Steve Johnson, and Lyle Properties, Inc., and serve a copy of your answer upon the undersigned attorney for plaintiffs, at his office below stated; and in care of your failure to do so, judgment will be rendered against you according to the demand of the complaint, which has been filed with the clerk of said court, seeking to quiet title to the said real property at 515 Johnston Ave, Lyle W 98635, Klickitat County Parcel No. 0312-3454-010500, and establish plaintiffs’ sole ownership of said property. Dated this 12th day of January 2026 . SHAW LAW GROUP /s/ David D. Shaw David D. Shaw, WSB No. 25959 P.O. Box 12050 Portland, OR 97212 503.221.4260 (tel); 503.221.4267 (fax) david@shaw-law.net Attorney for Plaintiff (0208, 0303, 0402, 0502, 0602, 0702) NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE Trustee Sale # 138615-WA Title # CTT25036945 Notice of Trustee’s Sale Grantor(s): MARTHA NINOTTI, AN UNMARRIED WOMAN Grantee(s): AMERITITLE, INC, as Trustee Original beneficiary of the deed of trust: RIVERMARK COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION Current beneficiary of the deed of trust: RIVERMARK COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION Current trustee of the deed of trust: CLEAR RECON CORP Current mortgage servicer of the deed of trust: Dovenmuehle Mortgage, Inc Reference number of the deed of trust: 1156347 Parcel number(s): 02151760211100 PTN. SE NW SEC. 17, TWN. 2 N., R. 15 EWM. I. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, CLEAR RECON CORP, 601 West 1st Avenue, Suite 1400, Spokane, WA 99201, Trustee will on 2/13/2026 at 10:00 AM ON THE FRONT STEPS TO THE MAIN ENTRANCE

Wind tower collapses near Bickleton off East Road

RodgeR Nichols FoR T he seNT i N el

One of the 133 turbines at Avengrid’s Big Horn wind farm near Bickleton in eastern Klickitat County fell over during a recent windstorm. It appears to have failed at a connection between two segments of the tower. The GE Energy 1.5sle turbines used at that facility are older models, with a tower height of 260 feet. The nacelle weighs about 50 tons, the rotor and hub about 31 tons, and the tower around 71

The towers were

in 2007 and 2010. GE rated the lifespan of that model at 20 to 25 years, which means the earlier phase turbines are nearing the lower edge of that estimate.

DOWNED TOWER: A wind tower near Bickleton collapsed Monday.

a Special Education Nurse (LPN or RN) for Goldendale Middle School. 40 hrs/week, school year schedule. $32.89 - $51.82 hourly rate. Details and application online: www.esd112.org/ takeroot NOW HIRING FOSTER PARENTS! The Next Door, Inc. (TNDI) is hiring full-time foster parents to work with youth, ages 6-18. Applicants must live in Hood River or Wasco Counties. TNDI provides 24-hour support, free training, paid days-off and up to $1800 tax-free/month, for each youth. Bonus also offered for completion of certification! Contact 541-308-2207 or visit www.nextdoorinc. org/fosterparent to apply.

LOOKING for a new job? Browse employment ads from throughout the Gorge on our classified website: ColumbiaGorgeNews.com

MARKETING SALES

REPRESENTATIVE

Columbia Gorge News is seeking a sales and marketing representative for the news media territory. Sales experience preferred. Candidate should have the ability to meet multiple deadlines, communicate clearly and effectively, be outgoing and have the ability to want to work with a variety of customers. Small businesses are the heart of our clients, and the job will require travel to businesses throughout The Gorge area. Office and remote work available. Weekly newspaper sales, niche print publications and online website are many of the products to market. Pay will be hourly during 60-day training and work towards salary and commissions. PTO/retirement match. Health insurance not currently available. Full or part time offered. Contact publisher, ChelseaM@GorgeNews.com to apply.

WILDFIRE RESILIENCE SPECIALIST Wildfire Resilience Specialist position at Underwood Conservation District in White Salmon. Work to support residents with defensible space and forest management at small, local conservation

on one with small businesses in our community to help them find ways to effectively market their business. The sales position will allow the person hired to work their own schedule to fit the needs of the customers. Weekly sales meetings and trainings required. Must have the ability to multi-task and be self-motivated. The ability to handle basic excel or word documents, perform math calculations and the willingness to communicate well with customers in person and over the phone are needed. Sales experience a plus but will train the right candidate. This position is mainly Mon-Fri but is somewhat flexible with part-time or full-time hours. Hourly, mileage, plus commissions. Email resume and references to: ChelseaM@GorgeNews.com Columbia Gorge News P.O. Box 390, Hood River, OR 97031. If you have questions, leave a message: 541-386-1234 Ext. 100.

UNDERWOOD CONSERVATION

DISTRICT

Administrative Operations Lead position at Underwood Conservation District in White Salmon. Work to support financial operations at small, local conservation agency promoting natural resource conservation.

For description and application see: https://www. ucdwa.org/work-with-ucd (509) 493-1936 Open until filled; first application round closes January 26.

Air Conditioning & Heating

NOTICE

Oregon Construction Contractors Law (ORS 701) requires that all businesses that advertise remodeling, repair, home improvements or new construction be registered with the Construction Contractors Board. Registration means contractors have a bond and insurance. Home inspection businesses also must be certified which means the inspector has passed a test and must comply with standard of practice and behavior. For your protection, call 503-378-4621, ext. 4900 to check an inspector’s certification. Notice to Contractors Washington State Law (RCW 18.27.100) requires that all advertisements for construction-related services include the contractor’s current Department of Labor and Industries registration

number in the advertisement. Failure to obtain a certificate of registration from L & I or show the registration number in all advertising will result in a fine up to $5000 against the unregistered contractor. For more information, call Labor & Industries Specialty Compliance Services at 1-800-647-0982 or check

I’s Internet site at

Business & Service Directory 4 Weeks Up to 10 Lines Print and Online Only $45 $5 per additional line. Contact your local newspaper or place your ad online using our fact and easy online entry system. hoodrivernews.com 541-386-1234 thedallechronicle.com 541-296-2141 whitesalmonenterprise. com 509-493-2112

Construction

OREGON Construction Contractors Law requires that all those who advertise remodeling, repair, or construction services be registered with the Construction Contractors Board. Registration means contractors have bonds and insurance on the job site. For your protection, be sure any contractors you hire are registered. Contact the Construction Contractors Board in Salem at 503-378-4621. To verify a contractor’s CCB license through the CCB Consumer Website, visit: hirealicensedcontractor.com

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Replace your roof

Check It Out

Beth Wood, Collection Librarian

Fort Vancouver Regional Library District

Contact Beth Wood with questions about this column: 360-906-4996 or bwood@fvrl.org

In Memoriam: Frederick Forsyth Frederick Forsyth was a New York Times bestselling author whose novels included “The Day of the Jackal” and “The Odessa File”. He passed away in June 2025 at the age of 86. Born on August 25, 1938, Forsyth was born and raised in the county of Kent, England. Military conscription existed at that time, and he served his National Service as a pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF), and flew a de Havilland Vampire. Following his service, he worked as a journalist for Reuters and later for the BBC.

In 1967, Forsyth found himself in Africa covering the Nigerian Civil War (Biafran War) for the BBC. When he was recalled after six months, he asked to stay, and when

denied, he quit and stayed as a freelance reporter. Many years later, Forsyth confirmed that he also worked as an unpaid “asset” for MI6 during this time. He wrote his first nonfiction book, “The Biafra Story”, in 1969.

Forsyth contended that he turned to writing novels because he was broke. In addition to his novels, Forsyth also wrote short stories and some nonfiction. Many of his novels were turned into movies, and “The Day of the Jackal”, was remade as a TV series in 2024, starring Eddie Redmayne. Check out this DVD from the library. We also have the film version of “The Odessa File” and “The Day of the Jackal” on DVD.

Forsyth published his autobiography, “The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue” in 2015, and reviews say that it reads like one of his thrillers. He received a Diamond Dagger Award for lifetime achievement from the Crime Writers’ Association, and he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1997 for service to literature.

According to The Guardian, his books have sold over 75 million copies. Titles and short descriptions of some of of his novels are listed below.

• “The Day of the Jackal” (1971) - In this adventure

Healthy everyday recipes for real life

(Family Features) When planning meals, particularly breakfasts, there are a few critical factors many families consider: taste, simplicity and nutrition. Eating healthier doesn’t have to be complicated or out of reach. With the right inspiration, healthy food can be delicious, nutritious and convenient. By choosing ingredients like eggs, which are easy to use and versatile, you can make healthy living fit into your life at the breakfast table as part of a balanced diet. For example, these egg-inspired recipes are part of the American Heart Association’s Healthy for Good Eat Smart initiative, nationally supported by Eggland’s Best. In addition to the social and emotional benefits of dining together, shared family meals can help promote healthier choices at the table. Backed by expert nutrition guidance, recipes such as Turkey Bacon and Spinach Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust are wholesome, flavorful and fast, perfect for busy weekdays or anytime you need a nutritious boost. The sweet potato crust offers a better-for-you twist on ready-made or traditional crusts made with butter, and it can be served with slices of honeydew or berries for an added touch of sweetness.

For a protein-rich dish any day of the week, Broccoli and Cheese Egg White Scramble on WholeWheat English Muffins can help you solve the morning rush. Or for a true timesaver, these Egg “Muffin” Cups with Turkey Sausage and Mushrooms can be made over the weekend and frozen or refrigerated for quick, go-to meals throughout

the week.

Remember, healthy eating isn’t just about one food – it’s about a combination of wholesome ingredients to make well-rounded meals. For example, eggs can be included as part of a heart-healthy diet that emphasizes vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds, whole grains, lean protein and fish, according to the American Heart Association. Eating eggs alongside foods high in saturated fat – like bacon – is different than eggs eaten with steamed veggies, whole grains or a side of fruit. To find more healthy eating tips and recipes that help you eat smart, move more and live healthier, visit Heart.org.

Turkey Bacon and Spinach Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association with support from Eggland’s Best Servings: 5

Nonstick cooking spray

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled

• 1 teaspoon canola or corn oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 6 slices uncured, nitrate-free turkey bacon, thinly sliced

• 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed

• 3/4 teaspoon dried dillweed, crumbled

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 large egg whites

2 large eggs

• 1/4 cup fat-free milk

• 1 1/2 tablespoons fat-free feta

cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly spray 9-inch pie pan with nonstick

cooking spray.

thriller, the protagonist is an Englishman hired in 1963 to assassinate General de Gaulle. This was Forsyth’s first novel, which earned the 1972 Edgar Award for Best Novel. It is widely considered to be the model of the modern thriller.

• The Odessa series consists of “The Odessa File” (1972) and “Revenge of Odessa” (2025) - A package of documents arrives at the Ministry of Justice in Bonn, related to Nazi war criminals. In the sequel, written with Tony Kent and published after Forsyth’s death, the covert group resurfaces, intent on destabilizing the Western political system.

• “The Kill List” (2013) - A cutting-edge novel about a secret agency whose mission is to eliminate the greatest terrorist threats to the United States.

• “The Fox” (2018) - Forsyth’s last standalone novel is a race-against-time by global powers to obtain a human asset - a 17-year-old boy with incredible abilities.

Beth Wood is a senior collection development librarian for Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries. Email her at readingforfun@fvrl.org.

In medium bowl, using box grater, grate sweet potato. Measure out 2 cups. Gently press sweet potato on bottom and up sides of pan, forming crust. Sweet potato will be loose but will hold together once cooked.

Bake 20 minutes, or until crust is cooked. Remove from oven. Let stand to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F. In medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat bottom. Cook onion 6 minutes, or until almost translucent, stirring frequently. Add turkey bacon. Cook 3-4 minutes, or until onion and bacon begin to brown, stirring frequently. Add spinach, dillweed, salt and pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes, or until water from spinach is released. Remove from heat. Transfer mixture into sweet potato crust.

In medium bowl, whisk egg whites, eggs and milk. Pour over mixture in crust. Sprinkle feta over top. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

New at the Library

FICTION

“Whispers at Painswick Court” by Julie Klassen

“What We Leave Behind” by Sue Halpern

“Murder at Donwell Abbey” by Vanessa Kelly

NONFICTION

“Beyond Korean: Easy Recipes for Korean, Japanese and Chinese Favorites” by Aaron Huh

“Like a Wave We Break” by Jane Chen

“Super Body” by William Davis

CHILDREN

“We Always Had Wings” by Jess X. Snow

“The World of Dreams” by Sara Beltrame

“The Treasure of Ocean Parkway” by Sarvenaz Tash This is just a small sampling of the many new titles added each week to the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District collection. Visit the district’s 15 locations, our website at www.fvrl.org, or call (360) 906-5000 to reserve titles or find additional listings.

Last summer, Judy approached me one day when I was walking by an old church.

“I see you walking by here every day!” she said.

“Oh, yes. I need to walk!” I told her. Judy is an associate pastor at this Episcopal church. She did not appear intent on getting me to church, but she was excited because they were having silent meditation in the chapel. She wondered if I might like to join.

“It’s open to anyone?” I asked.

“Every Tuesday night from 6 to 7. Stay as long as you want!” Judy said.

So I came the next Tuesday. Judy keeps the door open, and she puts a little sign on the sidewalk, inviting anyone to come in. I arrived a little late, after others had come, and I quietly took a seat, imagining I might sit there for 20 minutes or so.

But there was quiet music playing, and the chapel was so peaceful. It was old and small, and the pews were dark oak. There was an altar with round, golden icons over it and candles burning on it. The windows were stained glass. It smelled like old churches do, at least ones where they occasionally burn incense. The sun was still up, and the afternoon light made patterns on the stained glass. Before I knew it, Judy rang a large singing bowl, which made a resonant sound that hung in the air, and the hour was up.

“I hope you come again,” Judy said. And I did.

All summer, the attendance varied. Some people came in for only a few minutes. Some stayed the entire hour. Every week, I arrived promptly at 6 and took a seat in the front.

And the hour became important to me. It’s hard to say why, because meditation is not so

much a thing I do, as a thing I don’t do. My busy brain quiets for a time. Thoughts come and float away, and very slowly I feel emotions floating to the top, things that are important, things I should have noticed, things I might have forgotten. And at the end, Judy rings the bell. Then I left for Mexico. I told Judy I’d be gone for a while. But the first Tuesday we were back, I went to meditation. There was no one there but Judy.

“Is meditation happening?” I asked.

“Of course,” she said. “Sometimes we get more people than other times. Last week, I was here by myself.” So Judy sat quietly, and so did I. And no one joined us on that cold winter night. And that is how it has been ever since. The sidewalk is cleared of snow. The little sign sits by the open door so anyone walking by will know they are welcome. But this winter, it has just been Judy and me, sitting at opposite sides of the tiny chapel for an hour in silence.

“Does it bother you to open the chapel for just one person?” I asked. I felt bad about Judy lighting the candles and sitting for an hour with only me in attendance—when I’m not even an Episcopalian.

“No,” Judy said. “I need it, too.” And the next week it was the same. The quiet was the same. The same dark outside. The same smell of burning candles and a sense of peace that seemed to settle right into my bones.

“Thank you,” I told Judy again. “Thank you for doing this.”

“It’s my pleasure,” she said.

And people say that, you know. But I wondered if Judy wasn’t telling the truth. To see photos,check out CarrieClassonAuthor on Facebook or visit CarrieClasson.com.

War Horses

Close your eyes and imagine the ground shaking and a distant noise that seems to echo in your head. That sound isn’t thunder. It’s a medieval warhorse charging across a battlefield. Or, picture this: through the morning mist, a cavalry of knights appear on horseback, looking more like a moving fortress than a group of people. From head to toe, both knights and horses are covered in shining armor that glints in the sunlight. Their helmets hide their faces, with only narrow eye slits showing, making them seem mysterious and powerful. Sitting high on his warhorse, each knight looked taller than everyone else around him, as if he were part human and part machine made of steel.

In the Middle Ages, these horses were not pets used for pleasure, or farm animals pulling plows, they were heroes with hooves. Knights depended on them the way we depend on cars today. A strong, brave horse could carry a knight in heavy armor, rush into danger, and stay calm while swords clashed and horns blared. Without warhorses, medieval battles would have looked very different.

Not all warhorses were the same. There were three main types, and each had a special job. The most famous was the destrier which was the biggest and strongest horse. The destrier was powerful, proud, and trained for battle. Next came the courser, lighter and faster, it was perfect for quick attacks and chases. Then there was the rouncey that was known to be hardworking and dependable. Each type mattered and like different players on a sports team, each one had a job to do.

Medieval battles were loud, scary, and chaotic. The horses were trained from a very young age to ignore the noise, charge straight ahead, and even knock enemies over. Some horses were taught to kick or bite on command. Training took years and required patience, skill, and trust between the horse and rider. A well-trained warhorse didn’t just follow orders, it fought alongside its human partner. Sometimes a warhorse was dressed in armor, called barding. It covered the horse’s head, neck, chest, and sides. Imagine a horse dressed like a walking tank. Not every horse wore full armor because it was heavy and expensive but when they did, it made them even more powerful and frightening to enemies.

We’ve got some great videos lined up for you about war horses on our website! Scan the code below for a link!

Why didn’t the sun ever shine on the castle?

It was full of knights.

Even today, medieval warhorses live on in stories, movies, and legends. When you see brave knights riding into battle in books or fantasy films, those mighty horses are right there with them. They appear in fairy tales, video games, and epic adventures because they stand for loyalty, courage, and strength. Long after the castles faded and the battles ended, the legend of the medieval warhorse kept galloping straight into our imaginations.