HEADLINES & HISTORY SINCE 1879 Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2024
Vol. 145 No. 10
$1.00
GOOGLE MAPS
AIRPORT READY FOR FUELING: The Goldendale city council heard a report that the Goldendale Airport now has aircraft fuel capability.
Airport now has fuel RODGER NICHOLS FOR THE SENTINEL The main item on the agenda of the Goldendale City Council Monday night was a 1912 agreement the city entered into with landowners through whose property the city needed to place the main pipeline supplying water to the city. In return for granting the city an easement through their property for the pipeline, the city allowed any of those property owners, or those who subsequently owned the property, to connect to that main pipeline, even though they lived outside city limits. Concern had been expressed by Councilor Steve Johnston of an impact to the city’s water supply if all those who were eligible took advantage of the opportunity. An example of one such agreement was included in the packet for the council meeting, and Clerk/Treasurer Sandy Wells said that she had been assured there was plenty of water to serve those along the line as long as they were single dwellings and not a large development. Johnston said he was concerned about just that possibility and urged the staff to consult with legal consul on the agreements. Under staff reports, Police
Chief Mike Smith said things were hopping in his department: “The month of February was one of the busiest we’ve ever had in this police department,” he said. “We’ve had six theft calls, 10 shoplifts, four property damages, two violation of conduct-type orders, two recoveries of stolen vehicles, five warrants, one DUI, two vehicle prowls, one disorderly. We’ve had 11 arrests this month and three citations. Calls for service were 241, which averages 8.3 per officer per day. It’s kind of crazy for a short month.” Chief Smith said all this activity came at a time when the department was down one person and another was out on leave. And under public comment, Richard Lundin reported that the Goldendale City Airport now has the fuel supply up and working so that planes can land and refuel there. The next step, he said, is to build hangars that could be rented out for added income to the airport. Councilors scheduled a joint meeting of the Public Works and Parks Committees Thursday, March 7, at 2:30 p.m. and a Traffic and Safety Committee meeting on Thursday, March 14, at 2:30 p.m. Both meetings will be held in the Council chambers at City Hall.
Collaborative shares ‘Portraits of Houselessness’ TAMARA KAUFMAN FOR THE SENTINEL Nearly 80 individuals joined a Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative meeting on February 13 to learn about progress made toward its goals during 2023, review strategic plan updates, and get an overview of key activities and projects planned for 2024. One highlight was the connections the group is making in the region. “We had a tremendous increase in people dialing into our quarterly meeting and listening session,” said Leslie Naramore, executive director of Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP). “This shows that the issue of houselessness matters to our communities.” Collaborative partners are sharing stories of people who have personally experienced houselessness throughout the region. In 2023, members took the Collaborative’s mission a step further by creating a series of profiles that put real faces in front of deeply personal stories to help advocate for the need for programs, services, and funding. The Portraits of Houselessness series is online at www.mccac.com/ data-reports. One woman, Debra, was living in her car while also fighting a terminal illness. She was referred to Collaborative partner Mid Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) from the FISH Food Bank. This triggered a flurry of activity to help her secure temporary housing, followed by permanent placement in a 55 and older community. The team assisted Debra in stabilizing her monthly expenses, and she was able to keep and maintain her vehicle,
giving her the independence to focus on her health. A veteran, Jeff, was living out of a grocery cart. A caseworker from MCCAC connected him with the Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) program. The team got him out of the cold, referred him to transportation and health care in Portland, and helped him secure permanent housing. He hopes to help other veterans by sharing his experiences and helping link them to services in the region. Another man, Mike, is challenged with a learning disability, mental health diagnosis, and childhood trauma. Following his mother’s death, he began living in his car and struggled with his health and social needs. He developed a wound that would not heal, which led to the amputation of his leg. His physician at Adventist Health, formerly Mid Columbia Medical Center (MCMC), referred him to Bridges to Health before he was discharged. This changed his life. He received help to navigate health and social service systems. The team supported his efforts to get a new state ID card and apply for social security disability. He was helped to apply for HUD and transportation vouchers, food benefits, and received assistance to obtain clothing and essential items. Mike was empowered to take control by connecting with ongoing healthcare and a mental health provider. Through his new connection with the Aging and People with Disabilities, he was able to access a caregiver who now helps him through the struggles of living independently. In October 2023, Joe Allen Da-
ABOVE: U.S. DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. RIGHT: LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF.
IVAN’S BILL CLEARS HURDLE: A bill confronting the fentanyl crisis named for Goldendale’s Ivan Howtopat is moving closer to law. Above, a chart showing the various forms and potency of fentanyl. Right, LA police recently confiscated fentanyl pills packed in different kinds of candy boxes.
Mosbrucker fentanyl bills gain Senate approval
The state Senate has unanimously approved two of Rep. Gina Mosbrucker’s bills to address the state’s fentanyl crisis. Both bills were amended and must receive final House approval before being sent to the governor. House Bill 2396, also known as “Ivan’s Law,” passed the Senate last Thursday, Feb. 29. The bill is named after 24-year-old Ivan Howtopat, a Yakama Nation tribal member who was suffering from fentanyl withdrawal when he committed suicide in the Klickitat County jail last May. The bill outlines specific requirements for the state Department of Health, including consideration of the phrase, “Not even once” when designing public outreach campaigns on the danger of fentanyl. “Fentanyl is not like other drugs where you can use it many times to get high and not necessarily overdose. Fentanyl is one pill - one kill,” said Mosbrucker, R-Goldendale. “Users think they can do this over and over, like
other drugs. But they are mistaken. We are seeing people of all ages dying from this toxic drug. The message must be, ‘Don’t try this. Not even once!’” Mosbrucker, who serves as ranking member on the House Community Safety, Justice and Reentry Committee, wrote HB 2393 after holding community meetings last year in Goldendale, Toppenish, and Yakima, on the deadly and addictive drug and its impacts. “I talked to hundreds of people, some in a tent, some on a reservation, some in my hometown, and learned a lot about fentanyl. I heard hours and hours of heartbreaking stories,” said Mosbrucker. The bill would require jails that release individuals from custody to provide information about treatment programs related to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Mosbrucker says she wrote that component of the bill after speaking with an individual who had struggled with drug addiction. “He said to me, ‘You’re asking me on the street when I have a heroin needle in my arm or I’m smoking fentanyl if I’d like to go to jail or treatment. I can’t make a good decision with my
life at that point,’ adding that he’d probably do what he could to have his drugs,” Mosbrucker noted. “But when he was at the Yakima jail, a corrections officer saw that this man was doing better because he was now sober, and asked the inmate if he would like to have treatment. It was at that time, the individual said ‘yes,’ and was able to get the help he needed. This is a success story we need to replicate.” Originally, the bill called for the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, in consultation with the state Department of Health (DOH) and the Washington Poison Center, to compile resources on how to decontaminate fentanyl residue and that of other synthetic opioids from motor vehicles. A Senate amendment changed the bill to put the DOH in charge of the decontamination resource materials. The measure passed the Senate 49-0. House Bill 1635 would create a model program in Washington for the training and certification of dogs to detect fentanyl. “There are two kinds of fentanyl: pharmaceutical, which helps people through surgeries and
See Bill page A8
County commissioners urged to pursue assisted living facility RODGER NICHOLS FOR THE SENTINEL
Klickitat County Commissioners started their February 27 meeting a few minutes early in order to hear a legislative update from Zak Kennedy of Kennewick-based Potts and Associates, a lobbying firm representing rural counties, port districts, and agricultural businesses. “[The Legislature] is basically treating the initiatives like bills,” he told commissioners. They can amend them and do what they want with them.” The Chief Clerk’s office at the Washington Legislature clarified that legislators can’t change the actual initiatives themselves, but they can modify the ideas and draft a competing measure to appear alongside the initiative on the ballot. Kennedy also said the majority Democrats are tying pet projects to other bills, “so you can’t get rid of them without cutting a whole bunch of programs.” And he urged commissioners to contact key legislators in regard to a proposed west Klickitat
assisted living facility in order to ensure that it remains in the Housing Trust Fund supplemental budget for the Department of Commerce. Loren Meagher, executive director of the Eastern Klickitat Conservation Service, successfully asked commissioners for a letter of support on behalf of landowners and ranchers whose grazing was affected by last year’s Newell Road Fire. He said 11 ranchers petitioned the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for rest and deferment on 30,000 acres affected by the fire. “The way the NRCS ranked system worked out,” he said, “all the funds ended up going to the Spokane fires. This is really important for the re-establishment of grass stands and to reduce the amount of invasive species that move in or get spread around as we see these grounds get recovered.” Klickitat County Auditor Heather Jobe reported a busy spring for elections. “We just certified the first five elections this year,” she said.
“This one had six school levies: two for Prosser—we have 53 voters in the Prosser School District—one for Goldendale, one for Centerville, one for Roosevelt, and one for Glenwood. All of them passed.” She told commissioners that the office was underway with their second election. “Presidential primary ballots went out last Wednesday,” she said. “That election is March 12 and will be certified March 22.” A third election, for the Bickleton School District, will take place in April. She also said that she had been talking with Prosecuting Attorney David Quesnel, who had been in contact with PAs from other counties. The consensus was that the county could hold an election this year for a county coroner to start in January, but the final decision would likely come from the State attorney general or a ruling from a superior court. Prosecuting attorneys in counties under 40,000 population in the state have previously served as coroners, but a recent
See County page A8