HEADLINES & HISTORY SINCE 1879 Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2024
Vol. 145 No. 31
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KLICKITAT COUNTY AUDITOR’S OFFICE
IT MOVED: People have wondered where the ballot box that used to be on Columbus Avenue went to.
Ballot box is relocated CONTRIBUTED: PEGGY WOODARD
SURPRISE!: Jennifer Wilson of the Market Street Cafe in Bickleton got a surprise thank-you party Saturday.
Bickleton holds surprise thank-you party Every small town has a go-to person, and Bickleton has theirs in Jennifer Wilson. Jennifer has actively committed herself to the community for years without ever seeking recognition for her efforts, so on Saturday she was truly surprised when she walked into Bickleton Market Street Cafe to a crowd of cheering folks for her ‘Thank You, Jennifer’ surprise party. Audrey Haines of Bickleton thought it was well past time to show Jennifer how much their town appreciates her. Audrey put the whole shindig together with a giant cake, punch, balloons, and a huge thank you sign. The most amazing part was it was kept a secret from Jennifer even though it was put on in her own business. Jennifer was raised in Kennewick, Washington, “when it was still small.” She said, “I had never even been to Bickleton until I
went to a birthday party at the Bluebird,” where she met her future Bickletonian husband, Greg Wilson, in April of 1988. Their first date was a smashing success at the annual Demolition Derby at the Benton County Fairgrounds. It went so well, Greg invited her to go to Bickleton for their second date to help him feed cows. Jennifer thought it sounded like fun, and there was no turning back. They were married on December 8 that same year. They are well-matched as Greg also is community-minded and has a heart for giving of himself to help others. Jennifer has been involved in volunteer work of some kind in whatever town she has lived in. “My whole life I’ve been community-minded,” she states. “My dad’s parents were very involved in Poulsbo, Washington, and my parents were as well. My mom was my Girl Scout leader.” When
she was in junior high school, she helped run a bookstore and volunteered at a nursing home. The Bickleton Market Street Cafe entered Jennifer and Greg’s life in February of 1999 after having closed in the fall of 1998. They talked things over and decided it would be a fine idea to open it again. They received a lease from co-owners Tom Juris and Dick Wilson, who purchased it in the 1980s, and the deal was done. A lot of clean-up work ensued and some hoops jumped through with the Washington State Health Department (the Klickitat County Health Department had not been formed yet). By April they had legally changed the name from The Country Kitchen to Bickleton Market Street Cafe and opened the door for business. “We might own it, but it is such a community hub—a real community café,” states Jenni-
See Party page A8
Jail transition moving ahead RODGER NICHOLS FOR THE SENTINEL Klickitat County Commissioners received an update on the jail situation from HR Director Robb Van Cleave at their July 23 meeting. He began by saying he is not planning an update at the July 30 meeting but definitely will on August 6. He will be joined on that date by Island County Jail Chief Administrator Jose Briones, who has been evaluating the situation at the Klickitat County Jail. Briones’ report will not be ready by the 6th, but it gives the Commissioners a chance to meet him and ask questions. Here’s how some of the other components stack up: • New jail administrator: “If we can get resolved the challenges and opportunities,” he said, “it will be posted Friday [July 26], with a review date of September 1.” He also planned to post the job opportunity with the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs and with every corrections team in the states of Oregon and Washington. • Transfer of control: “The last piece for the resolution is the finance piece. We had a discussion with the Finance Committee on Friday. They’re going to review that, and then the resolution will be ready to go whenever the Commission is ready to make the actual formal transfer.” • Originating Agency Identifier: “We have to have this to identify the jail to the FBI for background checks and fingerprint training and supplies. We may be able to temporarily use the current one the Sheriff has. It’s my understanding that the
information I provided to the State Police has been forwarded to the FBI, and they’re going to do an initial review to see if we can get that number established and set aside until needed.” • Lexipol, where jail policies are posted: “I talked to the rep this morning. They’re going to set up a new account and have it inactive until the transfer date. Then they’ll activate it and move over all of the policies and information.” • Background checks, polygraph, and psychological assessments: “I reached out, and we’re good to go for any background checks for new employees.” • New credit cards for the department: “The auditor’s office has the application. I submitted that after the last meeting.” • Fuel cards: “I’m working with Wex [a payment processing service] and Pacific Pride to get accounts for the two new vehicles.” Other items on his list included reconfiguring the computer network and adding some new drives. “A new one we added was body cams,” Van Cleave said. “The Sheriff has the software. We either need to set up a separate account or just split the bill.” Commissioner Dan Christopher expressed some concern about that idea. “I’m not necessarily advocating for not splitting the bill,” he said, “but if the contract was under the Department of Corrections, at least then we can apply for grants on it, and [the sheriff] could pay half of whatever we’re paying.” The transition will also affect deputizing the corrections officers, which will no longer be done by the sheriff. Van Cleave
said that takes another process but did not elaborate. Finally, he said jail expert Briones, who has been through this process before, has agreed to look over the task list to make sure all the bases are being covered. In other actions, commissioners responded to a public comment request that the county provide badly needed daycare facilities for the county’s “daycare desert.” “I don’t think government should be in charge of operating child care,” Christopher said. “I think private entities did a wonderful job with it when they weren’t overregulated to high heaven, forcing them into bankruptcy.” He cited Idaho as an example of a state he said has fewer regulations. Idaho only requires a license for those providing care to more than seven children. Commissioner Jacob Anderson was an ally on this issue. “I can agree with Commissioner Christopher,” he said, “that childcare is not a core county function. It’s not something the Legislature directs us to spend taxpayer dollars on.” He said the county had asked the Small Business Development Center to run a business analysis on creating a child care facility. “The problem with all the rules and regulations Mr. Christopher was talking about,” he said, “is the cost. Somebody has to supplement it to the tune of about $500,000 a year, and I think that was for just 40 to 50 kids. We don’t have that kind of money at the county level.” On the subject of a moratorium on battery storage in the county,
See County page A8
The Goldendale Ballot Box has been relocated to the parking lot on the corner of W. Court St. and S. Grant Ave. To access the box, enter the parking lot from W. Court St., travel south to the end of the parking lot and turn east. The box will be accessible from the driver’s side of your vehicle.
Auditor Heather Jobe shares, “This location was chosen for better lighting, security, and ADA accessibility.” If you have questions, contact the Auditor’s office at (509) 7734001 or voting@klickitatcounty. org.
OFFICE OF SEN. MARIA CANTWELL
ENERGY FUTURE: Along with seven industry leaders, U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell (center) and Ron Wyden (center left) unpack the challenges of sustainable, secure energy in the Northwest and next steps at a meeting on July 15 in Seattle, Washington.
Northwest’s precarious but hopeful future NATHAN WILSON COLUMBIA GORGE NEWS
U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell, Ron Wyden, and several leaders of regional energy organizations discussed the future of Northwest power during a meeting on July 15, which focused on increasing electricity demand, climate change, and cleaner solutions. Since 1983, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NWPCC) has developed a power plan for Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. But a key metric in the 2021 Power Plan, designed to begin a renewable energy transition, was off base. NWPCC predicted the region would require an average of 25,895 megawatts (MW) of electricity in 2041, under its highest-use scenario. However, the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee (PNUCC) estimated electricity needs will top 33,000 MW in 2033—a 30% increase from current usage (23,700 MW) in eight fewer years. As a result, the region may not have enough power to go around without drastic action. “That projected increase in demand is primarily due to data center development; high-tech manufacturing growth, which is driven by incentives for onshore manufacturing; and the continued trend toward electrification,” said Crystal Ball, executive director of PNUCC, in Seattle. Oregon has the fifth-largest data center market in the country according to a report by Cushman and Wakefield, and these facilities require massive amounts of water and electricity. For instance, Google opened its first of five data centers in The Dalles in 2006, and five years later, the amount of electricity provided to primary service customers rose tenfold. In 2021, Google’s data centers sucked up 355 million gallons of water, or
29% of the city’s total water consumption, as reporting from The Oregonian shows. KC Golden, vice chair of NWPCC, reaffirmed that electrifying technology, from home heating systems to cars, is another major driver of energy insecurity. “This is not just a power forecasting and demand forecasting uncertainty. [Electrification] is a policy. It’s a future we’ve chosen, both because it’s the only way we know how to respond to the climate crisis effectively and get our carbon emissions down fast enough.” According to NWPCC’s recent assessment of the 2021 Power Plan, the northwest may need to develop new resources, like additional solar, wind and storage capacity, more aggressively than expected to ensure an adequate power supply by 2027. “There is currently no clear plan or set of projects underway that are sufficient to meet the overall need,” said Ball. By causing more extreme weather, climate change makes reliable power and a strong electric grid critical. In January of this year, an ice storm that froze transmission lines and transformer boxes led to massive outages throughout the Willamette Valley and Southwestern Washington. Heatwaves and wildfires pose similar risks, but climate change also jeopardizes our electricity supply. Largely thanks to the Columbia River Basin, PNUCC estimates that 61% of Northwest electricity comes from hydropower. In 2023, though, data from the U.S. Energy Information Association revealed that hydropower production in Oregon and Washington fell to its lowest level in over two decades. The drop was likely caused by low precipitation in fall and winter, and above average summer temperatures that rapidly melted snowpack.
See Energy page A8