HEADLINES & HISTORY SINCE 1879 Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2025
Vol. 146 No. 47
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Employers weigh in on hiring issues MELISSA UHLES FOR THE SENTINEL What is it like being an employer seeking candidates in a tiny rural town like Goldendale? During the Klickitat Valley Health (KVH) board meeting last month, issues surrounding hiring and retention were mentioned. That had me wondering if other employers in town have also experienced similar challenges. With an aging population and a lot of young people moving after graduation, it seemed like there could be some hurdles to overcome when hiring here. I started reaching out to local employers to learn what their thoughts were. One of the questions I asked was: Do you think issues outside of the job itself impact recruitment? For example, how does a lack of childcare options, school ratings, or limited amenities in Goldendale impact recruitment and retention?
The executive director of Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP), Jennifer Pauletto, shared her insights. She said, “Recruitment is definitely impacted by the lack of childcare availability and affordability in the area. In the last few years, WAGAP created policies to increase remote work, flexible work schedules, and other items to meet the unique challenges parents are having with accessing childcare for positions that can allow that flexibility, and I believe that has helped us not only hire staff but also retain those with young children.” Pauletto added, “For our regular part-time or full-time positions, we often have several applicants and are able to fill positions as they become available. We prioritize those who have lived experience and make sure that our training can provide people the opportunity to
See Jobs page A8
RODGER NICHOLS
PAYING HONOR: At their weekly meeting, Klickitat County commissioners passed a resolution honoring the late Dana Peck.
County creates new administrator position RODGER NICHOLS FOR THE SENTINEL
Klickitat County is changing its form of government. County commissioners voted unanimously at their November 12 meeting to create a new county administrator position. The county will be joining 20 of the 39 counties in Washington that currently employ a county administrator. (To be exact, 19 counties have a designated administrator, and Spokane County has a chief executive officer who performs the same functions.) They also named current Human Resources Director Robb Van Cleave to fill the newly cre-
ated position, effective immediately. He accepted the position, but he made it clear that his involvement with the office would be temporary and transitional. “If you wanted somebody to do this multiyear, I would not be that person,” he told them. “It wouldn’t be fair for me to look past the beginning of 2027.” He said he would use 2026 to get the position set up and ready to hand over at the end of the year. In making the move, Van Cleave suggested that the current HR manager, KC Sheridan, replace him as HR Director, and that an HR Analyst position be posted to replace the HR Manag-
See County page A8
LOU MARZELES
A SPECIAL DAY: Last week’s Goldendale Veterans Day Parade drew an appreciative crowd.
LOU MARZELES
PROTECT PUSHPUM: Elaine Harvey stands behind the table Thursday night at the Goldendale Observatory for a viewing of the film “These Sacred Hills.” Before her are flyers urging action against the proposed Goldendale Pumped Storage project scheduled to be built on land the Yakama Nation calls Pushpum.