Headlines & History since 1879 Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2026
Vol. 147 No. 29
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Ponderosa Park asked to conserve water
WELL PROBLEM: Residents of Pondersosa Park were asked to conserve water as the KPUD, which maintains the well there, worked to remove sediment.
Lorrie Fox For The Sentinel
Residents of Ponderosa Park have been asked to conserve water due to a malfunctioning pump serving the community’s well. On the morning of June 28, a resident who spoke on the condition of anonymity said she was alerted by an automated phone call from the Klickitat County Public Utility District (KPUD), which maintains the well, asking residents “to begin water conservation immediately.” The message continued by saying that water operators were working to resolve a pump issue and urged residents to immediately conserve water to maintain reservoir levels. All outdoor irrigation was suspended until further notice. However, the resident was concerned that some people living in the area may have missed the notifications and would not know that they needed to conserve water. “Not every resident is on the [Home Owners Association]’s mailing list because some people are new tenants or haven’t signed up for the mailing list,” she said. “KPUD is sending out only automated phone calls.” She said park residents were also notified about the water pump issue through the private Facebook group, “Community of Ponderosa Park Goldendale WA.” The Sentinel sought comment from the group’s administrator but did not receive a
response. The group is not affiliated with the Ponderosa Park Owners Association. KPUD staff provided an update on the Ponderosa Park water system during the KPUD Board of Commissioners meeting on July 14. Water crews had removed about nine feet of sediment from the bottom of the 518foot Well 2 after a video inspection could only reach 509 feet because sediment blocked the remainder of the well. Staff said the well casing, well screen, and other major structural components appeared to be in good condition to that depth. The pump was being reinstalled, with additional video inspections planned to determine where sediment is entering the well by observing conditions while the pump is operating. KPUD staff said the well has experienced sand intrusion in the past. Although the issue had subsided temporarily, they said it suddenly returned, causing the current investigation. Rather than simply replacing the failed pump, crews chose to determine why sand was entering the well before returning it to normal operation. Additional video inspections were planned while the well was pumping to identify the source of the sediment and help determine a longterm solution. Staff said conservation restrictions would remain in place while water quality samples were analyzed. KPUD would
See Well page B1
Rodger Nichols for The Sentinel
PICK YOUR CANDIDATE: The three candidates for Klickitat County Sheriff met in a Q-&-A session in White Salmon last week.
Sheriff candidates meet in White Salmon Rodger Nichols For The Sentinel A packed crowd filled the Mountain View Grange in White Salmon July 14 to hear the three Klickitat County Sheriff candidates, John Bruce, Tony Warren, and Dwayne Matulovich. The event was sponsored by the Skamania-Klickitat League of Women Voters, and jointly by The Sentinel and The Columbia Gorge News. Questions came from sponsors, prior submissions, and from notes submitted by the audience in attendance. Several of the questions sought to determine the degree that the candidates wished to operate like the incumbent Sheriff Bob Songer. Below are three of those questions and the responses of each candidate. The moderator rotated the order in which the candidates responded. Question: What is your stance on collaborating with immigration enforcement?” Matulovich: “My stance on immigration is that’s a federal job. They have a job to do just like we have a job to do. We don’t enforce federal laws. They don’t enforce state laws. If we come up with a policy and procedures on how to really work with any federal agency or any other agency, as long as we work together and they
follow the rules in the law, I have no problem with immigration.” Bruce: “Immigration is a federal issue, and local law enforcement is not tasked with handling immigration issues. If any law enforcement agent comes into the county and asks for help, law enforcement’s answer is always yes, as long as their paperwork is in order. And so I support helping someone, but we’re not going to interfere with what they do. We’re not going to keep them from doing their job, but we’re not going to do their job for them, either. I think it’s important to understand there is a time and place that law enforcement has to ask for citizenship information. And that is, if we take you into custody, we have to ask that question based upon the Geneva Convention because we may have to notify your home country by international law. It’s up to the individual, and we have to ascertain whether or not we need to notify your embassy for you.” Warren: “Immigration law is not a question that comes up a whole lot. It’s probably not something we’re going to have to really deal with in the county. So my position on it aligns a lot with the State Sheriff’s Association and some of the meetings we’ve gone to, and we’ve talked about it, and the chiefs and sheriffs, and the U.S. Attorney General has talked
about what’s a law enforcement response going to be to immigration activities should they come to our communities. Even the larger cities around. My opinion aligns with theirs with as far as they will respond to keep the peace and make sure everybody stays safe. If laws are broken, then they will take enforcement action. If state laws or county ordinances are broken, then we will take action there.” Question: ”Sheriff Songer is active and vocal about his membership in the Constitutional Sherifs and Peace Officers Association, or CSPOA. When you are elected Sheriff, will you join the CSPOA?” Bruce: “No, I will not be joining another national group. As potentially your next sheriff, I’m going to be more than busy taking care of issues that are right here in Klickitat County.” Warren: “I really don’t have time for it, nor do I intend to have time for it. I like to work. I’m more concerned with the local communities, what this county needs and protecting everybody’s rights here in this county. Networking with the State Sheriff’s Association is going to be important for any of us, even potentially Western states. The Constitutional Sheriff Peace Officer Association, maybe not. That’s my opinion. It’s
See Sheriff page B1
ADUs approved for Goldendale Judge lifts stay in Starcade case Lou Marzeles Editor A lawsuit that has been effectively frozen for months is once again moving forward after Klickitat County Superior Court Judge Randall Krog ruled Tuesday that the stay halting the case should be lifted, following guidance from the Washington Court of Appeals indicating the stay likely should not have been imposed. In a hearing yesterday, Krog reversed course on his October ruling that the case was subject to an automatic stay under Washington’s Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA), RCW 4.105.030(3). The decision allows proceedings in Michael Snyder’s remaining civil claims to resume after months of procedural litigation that ultimately reached the Washington Supreme Court. The ruling follows a June 29
decision by a commissioner of the Washington Court of Appeals denying Snyder’s motion for discretionary review of three consolidated matters arising from the case. At first glance, the decision appeared to be another setback for Snyder, whose repeated attempts to challenge the stay had been unsuccessful. However, the commissioner’s written ruling contained language that ultimately changed the course of the litigation. While denying review, the commissioner wrote that “Snyder failed to demonstrate that the order renders further proceedings useless” but also expressed doubt that the automatic stay provision contained in RCW 4.105.030(3) “applies here.” That observation proved pivotal. Although the Court of Appeals declined to intervene directly, the commissioner effectively
See Case page B1
Rodger Nichols For The Sentinel
If you live in Goldendale, ADUs are coming soon to a lot near you. ADUs are Additional Dwelling Units, defined as a second dwelling unit on the same lot as the primary residential unit and providing complete independent living facilities. An ordinance that allows limited ADU usage in all residential zones was passed by the Goldendale City Council Monday. The proposal was not without controversy. Under public comment, Larry Hoctor said, “I’m opposed to them. I don’t like the idea of degrading the neighborhood by putting an extra building in the background. Being a former counselor, I thought I’d have a solution rather than just complain about it. Maybe create a separate area of town, lower the lot size to facilitate those smaller buildings. Maybe do it that way rather than sticking them in at my home or next door to me because you never know what my kids are going to do at my house when I’m gone.” Councilor Loren Meagher had requested a memo from Kate Burtash, who bills herself as “Main-
tainer of the Open Gorge Public Meeting Archive. In the memo, she noted that the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council, representing the county and all the cities in the county, had worked together to hire an architect to design ADUs and had every jurisdiction pre-approve the designs. As a result, applicants have a choice of six pre-approved plans. She noted six Gorge jurisdictions are in the process of updating or establishing ADU ordinances, and suggested Goldendale join the other five for a similar effort and be able to split the cost six ways. Meagher also thought such a major change should be voted on by the whole council, and in councilor Steve Johnston’s absence, that vote should be postponed. “I just wonder if we don’t want to wait another two weeks, let Steve join the conversation, reach out to some of the other communities and see if there’s other opportunities for collaboration,” he said. In the end, he voted against the measure. Councilors did approve a fiveyear contract with Corvallis-bed Precision Approach Engineering for consulting, planning, and en-
gineering services involving the Goldendale Municipal Airport. Immediately following that, they approved the first project. Corley McFarland of Approach Engineering, who appeared by Zoom, explained: “The culmination of all of this work will allow for the widening of the runway to meet Federal Aviation Administration standards,” he said. “That’ll take the runway pavement from 40 feet wide to 60 feet wide. And then it’ll also widen what the FAA calls the runway safety area. That’s a well-graded area off the sides of the runway that can support an aircraft in the event of an incident where the aircraft departs from the pavement.” The good news is that the city received a $71,250 grant from the Washington Department of Transportation, with a local match of just $3,750. In another bit of good news, Mayor Dave Jones read from a letter sent to the city by the Washington Department of Ecology, which said in part, “The Goldendale Wastewater Treatment Plant is receiving the 2025 Wastewater Treatment Plant
See City page B1