HEADLINES & HISTORY SINCE 1879
Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2023
Vol. 144 No. 40
$1.00
The Noise Parade
CONTRIBUTED
IMPROMPTU HEROES: Klickitat County Emergency Services members Victoria and Trevor Keith along with their children, Nicholas, Isabella, and Jasper. Victoria and Trevor helped save the life of a person who collapsed at the Goldendale Farmers Market last Saturday.
Off-duty EMTs help save life at Goldendale Farmers Market This past Saturday a 911 call went out for a cardiac arrest near the Chamber of Commerce at the Goldendale Farmers Market. Two off-duty EMTs who work for Klickitat County Emergency Management Services District No. 1 (KCMS1), Victoria and Trevor Keith, were at the Market to buy some flowers. As they were walking around, they heard someone say, “Turn him on his
side,” a common phrase you hear when someone unconscious is aspirating and needs to keep their airway clear. At that point, the two ran over to see what was going on. What they witnessed was a male lying on the ground doing agonal breathing—gasping for air because he couldn’t get enough oxygen. Victoria checked for a carotid pulse and found none. She
then started compressions while Trevor called 911. They continued CPR, cleared the airway, and checked for pulse until the ambulance arrived on scene—doing all of this in front of a large crowd witnessing everything that happened. When the ambulance arrived, EMTs shocked the patient once and quickly loaded him into the
See EMTs page A8
City set to finalize airport fuel contract RODGER NICHOLS FOR THE SENTINEL
Much of the Goldendale City Council’s meeting this week involved setting things up for future meetings. Councilors gave the go-ahead for the city administrator to finalize a contract to supply aviation gas to the new pump at the city’s airport. The contract would be for three years and only required the city to purchase 13,000 gallons in that period, which councilors felt would be easily met. Administrator Pat Munyan will bring back the finalized version to the council for approval at a later date.
On a broader scale, in response to increased local concern about problems associated with homeless people, Mayor Mike Canon asked staff to set up a meeting among people dealing with the situation. That includes the city council, county commissioners, the prosecuting attorney, the sheriff, public health officials, WAGAP (Washington Gorge Action Programs), and any other agency the staff finds appropriate. Councilors also responded to a suggestion from Councilor Fil Ontiveros that the city create a mechanism to give recognition to local citizens who volunteer in
many areas to make the city better. Ultimately, councilors chose to refer the matter to the Events Committee to flesh out the idea and return to the council with concrete suggestions. Ontiveros was not a member of that committee, but because had done the most work on the idea, councilors felt that he should be. The situation is, with a seven-member council committees are limited to three council members. If they go to four members, that constitutes a quorum, and it automatically changes those committee meetings into full council meetings. At that point, Councilor Dave
See City page A8
County shelter makes a difference BRITTANY SPRATT PROGRAMS FOR PEACEFUL LIVING
In August of 2022, Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) opened a new shelter in Klickitat County, providing temporary safe housing to those fleeing domestic violence. Managed by the team at Programs for Peaceful Living (PFPL), it was dubbed “Gina’s Place” in honor of State Representative Gina Mosbrucker, who championed the effort to bring capital funding
to a county that had been without a domestic violence shelter for over two decades. Has it been worth the effort? Absolutely. Sadly, the shelter has been in use nearly every day since it opened. It is rarely unoccupied. There are three rooms with eight beds available, and a survivor’s average length of stay is 30 days. Over 40 domestic violence survivors have benefitted from having a safe and comfortable place to go to navigate through their trau-
ma. This safe home has provided many nights to individuals and families who need that important healing time. Domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence, is an epidemic affecting every community nationwide. It does not discriminate. It can affect anyone regardless of age, economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality. Since 1989, Congress has dedicated the month of October to
See Shelter page A8
CONTRIBUTED
HOMECOMING SPIRIT: It was noisy in downtown Goldendale last Friday as Goldendale High School students roared through town to make sure their support for Homecoming was clear.
New hours at the Sentinel The Goldendale Sentinel has a new project brewing that will require our heads down and the office closed on Fridays. We can’t share the details presently. In the meantime, pardon us while we keep our door closed and don’t answer the phone on Fridays.