Headlines & History since 1879 Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2025
Vol. 146 No. 30
$1.00
Photos courtesy and copyright Janice Lorentz.
ON THE FIRE: Above, a plane prepares to drop water on a hill in the Burdoin Fire. Below left, a plane over scorched ground. Below right, a helicopter scoops up water. Photographer Janice Lorentz captured the images from the Oregon side of the Columbia River. The picture above was taken from Memaloose State Park. Images below were from the Rowena overlook as planes exited Klickitat Canyon at Lyle (left) and from Mitchell Point overlook (right).
The Burdoin Fire began Friday afternoon and at press time remained 0% contained. Incident Command projects a containment date of July 29. Fourteen homes have been destroyed. High wind gusts continue to drive the fire slowly north and northeast. The Level 1 (get ready) evacuation line is still west of Centerville. The fire has consumed about 11,000 acres, and some 850 firefighters are at work. Shelters have been established in White Salmon and The Dalles.
City ‘princess’ tells how it was back then
Chamber looks to Creative District initiative Jordan Mayberry For The Sentinel
Melissa Uhles For The Sentinel The Sentinel heard from Lora Stinebaugh Hites when she saw the Goldendale’s Attic Mystery Photo we posted last week. She recognized herself on a special day back in the late ’80s. We asked her some questions to gain insight into what was happening at the time. Sentinel: Tell us about last week’s Goldendale Attic Mystery Photo where you were on a covered wagon with two other young women holding blue balloons. Lora: The picture was taken in 1988 or 1989 during Community Days. There was a contest to become the Queen and Princess of Goldendale. I remember that Angel Burr, in the pink dress, was crowned queen. I was crowned Princess. The coronation was held at the Grange, and I barely made it because I had been out four-wheeling that afternoon. I was crowned with a thin layer of Bishops red rock in my hair. Sentinel: Do you know the names of the other people in the photo? Lora: Other participants were Amy Rising and Taryn Gearhardt, both not pictured. I don’t know who was behind us or the name of the woman standing next to the wagon. Sentinel: Do you know how long they crowned a Queen and
File photo
GOLDENDALE ROYALTY: Once upon a time there was a Queen and Princess of Goldendale. Lora Stinebaugh Hites was the Princess (left). Princess of Goldendale during Community Days? And when this tradition ended? Lora: I don’t remember them doing it prior to this date, and I don’t believe they did it after. Sentinel: What were the duties of the Princess and the Queen? Lora: After coronation we participated in many community events and functions around Goldendale. I remember being at the Presby Christmas event, having my hair and nails done at a local salon by a new tech. We also went to brunches and many parades. We were also “arrested” on ridiculous charges during Community Days and were tried before a kangaroo court. Sentinel: How were the winners chosen? Lora: There were ballot boxes set up at local participating businesses. If I remember right, people would purchase a community days button and get a vote. People wearing these buttons were exempt from being “arrested” and held in a “jail” that was set up on the courthouse lawn. Anyone
could be “arrested” by the Goldendale Police Department, who also participated in the shenanigans. The money generated was used to help with the Community Days costs. Sentinel: Was there a prize? Lora: At the end of the reign, everyone received a little cash to put into a trust that they couldn’t access until they graduated from Goldendale High School. I graduated in 1989. Sentinel: Do you think this tradition should be reintroduced, and if so, why? Lora: I would love to see this become a yearly tradition. Keeping the youth involved in the community builds character and respect, teaching them that there’s more than just themselves and their friends who live here. It helps with public interactions, public speaking, and decorum in society. And it expands their understanding of the interconnectedness of every single community member and how their presence affects and impacts others around them.
The Goldendale Chamber of Commerce now enters the second half of 2025, a year in which a revitalized administration is working to demonstrate a fresh vision for business development in Klickitat County. After Chamber elections were completed at the end of 2024, new leadership at the helm began experimenting in ways the Chamber has not seen before. This new approach has resulted in a continuing string of successes, including the Home & Garden Show and the Citywide Garage Sale. But it’s not just new ideas that define this shift. Among the major projects inherited by the new management in early 2025 is the ongoing Creative District initiative, which has been in development since its initial movements in September 2024 and subsequent application to the State of Washington in December of the same year. The project has now entered its middle stages, though a considerable amount of work remains before it can be officially established. Goldendale Chamber Executive Director Teja Hanna explained the project’s purpose: “The Goldendale Chamber is working with the city to get partnered with the state to become a ‘Creative District.’” Hanna noted that official designation “opens the doors for more grant funds. It’s also a tourism draw and an economic boost.” The potential benefits, she emphasized, go beyond expectations. “It’s more
than just visual arts–it’s a community center, more murals, dance,” Hanna said. “These are all the things it could look like.” Despite the momentum, the project is expected to move at a gradual pace. “It takes five months to a year to get certified,” said Chamber Administrative Assistant Sandra Harmon. “It’s a big rigmarole.” With the application submitted, the Chamber has entered “the public input phase right now,” Harmon said. “And if you go onto the Chamber website, there is a QR code to scan that will lead you to a survey.” This survey will help the Chamber assess which benefits of the State Creative District program are most relevant to Goldendale’s needs and how it can best contribute to the area’s economic and aesthetic development. More than just a formality, the public input phase is essential to the project’s direction. “We’re really taking a leap from the community,” Harmon explained. The goal, she added, is to “lead the community where it is, rather than just roll over them with some ideas.” Hanna echoed this commitment to community-centered planning: “The survey, if the community fills it out, helps us understand what the community wants to see out of a Creative District.” “It’s not just visual art,” Harmon emphasized. The long-term vision for the Creative District includes partnerships with
See District page B1