HEADLINES & HISTORY SINCE 1879 Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2025
Vol. 146 No. 19
$1.00
CONTRIBUTED
NATURE’S CONCERT HALL: Pianist Hunter Noack performs piano concerts on his Steinway grand parked on a flatbed trailer at various open-air setting. He’s in Goldendale Saturday.
In a Landscape concert series open at Maryhill Museum LOU MARZELES EDITOR It’s a rare concertgoer who enjoys music accompanied by the sounds of chirping birds and buzzing insects. But then it’s rare that
a classical music concert takes place in the open without the hint of a traditional concert venue. Hunter Noack has been performing exactly that kind of concert for the past decade, playing a broad range of piano selections
on a Steinway grand sitting on a flatbed trailer for audiences sprawling across open spaces. No concert hall, not even a covered structure. Just Noack, his piano, his audience, and the great outdoors.
His concerts are called In a Lanscape. They take place in some stunningly beautiful outdoor settings across the western United States, and he’s opening his 2025 tour here in Goldendale this Saturday, May 10, at 5 p.m.
at Maryhill Museum. Sorry to say if you haven’t already purchased a ticket, the event is sold out, though you can get on a waiting list by visiting https://tinyurl. com/yc2jpkff.
See Noack page A8
Sheriff claims defunding, Water District claims ambush RODGER NICHOLS FOR THE SENTINEL
It was a mixed-message meeting for Klickitat County Commissioners April 22 as commissioners received both good news and bad news. They received word from their lobbyist, Zak Kennedy, that things could get even worse for Washington State finances. He said the state Attorney General was suing Adams County for cooperating with ICE [Immigration & Customs Enforcement] by checking information on prisoners in their jail against a federal list and notifying them of the results. “The federal Department of Justice just came out backing Adams County in this little tiff here in Washington State,” he said. “I’m bringing this up, be-
cause it seems like the federal government may consider pulling Washington State’s funding grants, matching funds, which would take things into a bigger death spiral.” Department of Corrections Chief Bill Frantz reported that he had previously been short two employees, but now he’s lost a third to a year in the military. When Chair Ron Ihrig said that meant he’s lost a shift, Frantz outlined how tough the situation was. “What that means,” he said, “is that our officers are working a lot of overtime. They’re still not calling in sick unless they’re very sick. They know their colleagues want days off. They know they have family plans. And so if they call in sick,
See County page A8
DOH contradicts Water District RODGER NICHOLS FOR THE SENTINEL
LOU MARZELES
HOME & GARDEN: This year’s show was one of the biggest and best ever, with crowds everywhere enjoying a wide range of vendors and music for the kids.
Klickitat County Commissioners heard more at their April 29 meeting about Commissioner Zoller’s appearance at the Dallesport Water District (DWD) board meeting the week before. She said that after securing agreement with Klickitat PUD chair Dan Gunkel to grant $185,000 to the water district from the landfill gas funds, she brought a document to the district, rather than a check that the district was expecting. “There were four requirements in it,” she said, “and all four were things they would be doing moving forward anyhow. So during the meeting, Scott [Dixon] felt like he didn’t have a problem with them. I know there was discussion about requirements, but they were fairly simple requirements that I knew they were going to do, or I wouldn’t have taken it forward to them. There was nothing that was extortion or holding them to
the fire for anything.” Dixon is the general manager of the Dallesport Water Department. Members of the water department said they had problems with the first three of the four requirements, which are: a. Removal of Water Moratorium: DWD shall immediately, upon execution of this Agreement, remove any water moratorium as it is a violation of contract and are a violation of DWD’s obligation to serve. b. Point of Withdrawal: DWD shall immediately, upon execution of this Agreement, apply to change the point of withdrawal for the Klickitat County share of the Columbia Gorge Regional Airport water rights at the “airport well,” to existing DWD wells. DWD must successfully accomplish this condition within one (1) year from the date the COMMITTEE approves the Application. c. Lease of Water Rights: DWD to immediately, upon execution
See DOH page A8