Headlines & History since 1879 Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2025
Vol. 146 No. 37
$1.00
Kongregation of Balloons to take off from the airport Melissa Uhles For The Sentinel The Kongregation of Balloons is happening from this Friday, September 12, to Sunday, September 14. Ten balloons are expected to soar through the sky on Saturday and Sunday, with perhaps even a few on Friday morning. Mark Yonker and Mandy Johnson are organizing the event. According to the Goldendale Chamber of Commerce website, “It has been many years since Goldendale has seen many balloons in town. The Goldendale area was the location of a balloon and skydiver event hosted by Bob Gilmore and his wife, Terese, back in 1998. There were other years Bob invited balloonists to come fly over Goldendale as well. Being both a balloon pilot and a sky diver, he also encouraged divers to come and experience jumping in Goldendale. Since Bob’s passing several years ago, there has been no balloon activity in the this area. In 2021, the
Northwest lost Gilmore, who had been instrumental in balloon operations, doing repairs, commercial balloon flying, teaching, and sharing ballooning with as many people as possible. He hailed from Walla Walla and was affectionately known as Kong due to his being big in stature. He was also big at heart and a big part of the balloon community across the country. As such, balloonists from around the country come to Kongregation each year to honor his memory [and named after him] and participate in a memorial flight. Kong’s partners, Vic and Mandy Johnson, hosted the first Kongregation of Balloons in Prosser, Washington, in 2022; Kong’s brother and balloonist Scott Shields hosted the gathering in Ferndale, Washington, in 2023; and Tyler Adams joined the Johnsons in hosting the third Kongregation of Balloons in Pendleton, Oregon. This year lifetime balloonist Mark Yonker joins the Johnsons to bring the Kongregation to Goldendale for the fourth
event since Kong’s passing.” I reached out to Mandy Johnson, one of the organizers, to ask a few more questions. Sentinel: Who will be riding in the balloons? Johnson: Pilots will be taking up family, friends, or crew for the most part. In some instances, some of the commercial pilots may be willing to take up someone who wants to pay for a ride. If someone is interested in paying for a ride, they should contact Joey with Adventures Aloft Ballooning at (206) 450-1747. Ballooning is an expensive sport, and, unfortunately, that means rides can be cost-prohibitive. However, all who will be giving rides will give residents the best possible price they can. Sentinel: Where do the pilots reside? Are they from Goldendale? Johnson: None of the pilots are from Goldendale. At this time, I do not believe there is a balloon pilot who lives there. The closest pilots coming are from Prosser,
See Balloon page A6
Commerce Corner: How the Chamber uses data to guide growth Teja Hanna For The Sentinel When most people think of the Chamber, they think of events, ribbon cuttings, or tourism promotion. While all are true, what they may not realize is that behind the scenes, a lot of our decisions are shaped by data. Numbers and surveys may not seem as exciting as ribbon cuttings or parades, but the truth is this: data helps us understand where our members and community are today and where we’re headed tomorrow. Listening to businesses and the community One of the simplest—and most important—ways we gather data is by asking. Our newly launched Chamber Check-In surveys are
designed to give our members a voice on the issues that matter most. Whether it’s workforce challenges, housing concerns, or industry trends, these weekly snapshots help us see common themes. Over time patterns emerge that guide not only Chamber priorities and projects, but also the way we advocate with city, county, and state leaders. For example, when multiple members report struggles with finding staff due to lack of childcare in our area, we know that needs to be a priority. When businesses highlight the rising cost of goods and housing, we can bring those concerns forward in economic development discussions. Data keeps us grounded in the real challenges facing our community.
The September 2 Goldendale City Council meeting was opened by special Mayor for a Day Kathryne Ihrig, accompanied by her younger sister Ruth. Kathryne won the scavenger hunt contest at Goldendale Community Days back in July. She struck the opening gavel with conviction, and the sisters sang “God Bless America,” with councilors, staff and audience members joining in. During department head reports, Police Chief Mike Smith said they had 329 calls in August and shared the breakdown.
“We had eight thefts, three property damage, and three violations of no contact orders; two arrests on those,” he said. “Seventeen domestic violence assaults; six arrests on those, three stolen vehicles, one vehicle prowl, two drug cases, three warrant arrests, twelve disorderlies, three weapons offense, six trespassing, and 49 citizen assists. Traffic-related calls were 37, with three arrests. Welfare checks were 16, suspicious circumstances were 31, and agency assists were 23.” On the positive side, Mayor Dave Jones shared a letter he received from the Department of Ecology about the Goldendale
Lorrie Fox For The Sentinel Initiated nearly 30 years ago by Bob Hansen, the Klickitat County Bird Count provides valuable data on local bird populations and how they adapt to environmental changes such as wildfires. Bird watchers are invited to report their sightings on Saturday, September 20. Although not an official organization, the Klickitat County Bird Count began in the fall of 1996. “And then we did another one in the spring of ’97,” recalls Hansen. While living part-time in both Oregon and Washington, Hansen brought the idea from Oregon where he had organized bird counts in 35 counties, making Klickitat the first county in Washington to adopt the model. Hansen emphasized the bird
count for two reasons: “To better understand our environment and how it is changing—that’s one reason. And then another reason is enjoyment and camaraderie among birders.” Participation has grown steadily over the years. The first count drew eight people; the following spring saw 18. The record high was 53, and recent years have averaged 40 participants. While numbers fluctuate from year to year, Hansen says, “it really hasn’t been declining.” Klickitat County offers an unusually diverse environment compared to areas with mostly one habitat. “One of the things that’s really attractive about Klickitat County is the variety of habitats we have—from the deciduous and Ponderosa or Douglas forests of the west out
See Bird page A6
Tracking economic development We also rely on data to measure the impact of projects and programs. Visitor counts at the Chamber office, website analytics from our tourism pages, and attendance at local events all tell us something about how Klickitat County is attracting and engaging people. When we see an uptick in visitors during events like Kongregation (this weekend’s hot air balloon event) or the Klickitat County Harvest Festival, it’s more than just a fun fact—it’s evidence that events can spark economic activity and create momentum for local businesses. While they aren’t the foundation of a strong economy on their own,
See Chamber page A6
Mayor for a Day opens city council meeting Rodger Nichols For The Sentinel
September bird count returns
Attorney opens office, joins law firm Wastewater Treatment Plant: “‘Your plant is one of the top performers,’” he read from the award, “‘for regularly meeting permit criteria, conducting, monitoring and reporting data.’ This is the fifth consecutive year the Goldendale Wastewater Treatment Plant has received this award.” The total meeting time was a bare half hour before councilors went into executive session, which startled a pair of residents who came to complain about the homeless people on the courthouse lawn. They showed up just as the council was preparing to go into executive session and were not pleased.
Lou Marzeles Editor Local attorney Justin Leigh has marked a pair of significant milestones recently. He opened a law office at 106 N. Grant Street in Goldendale, and he has joined the long-standing Hood River– based law firm Phillips Reynier Sumerfield Cline & Smith. That connection has brought new resources to his Goldendale practice while also signaling a broader commitment to serve the legal needs of the Gorge. “I’ve been practicing here in Washington since 2019, after transferring my license from
Illinois where I went to law school,” Leigh recalls. “In 2020, I worked for the city handling land use, planning, and code enforcement, while also slowly building up my own practice during COVID. At that time, real estate transactions were booming in the county, and people constantly had legal questions. The trouble was, most lawyers were booked two or three weeks out or wanted to charge $500 just to sit down with someone. Many of the questions were simple ones—things people didn’t need a full retainer for. So I started answering the phone, giving ad-
See Leigh page A6