Headlines & History since 1879 Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2025
Vol. 146 No. 38
$1.00
The area real estate market settles down Jordan Mayberry For The Sentinel For five years, Goldendale’s housing market saw an unprecedented surge, driven by low interest rates, shifting employment patterns, and a wave of new buyers. By the summer of 2025, however, that momentum slowed, pushing the once red-hot market into stagnation. “It seemed pretty typical, slower than last year—it didn’t seem too abnormal. But, as the summer progressed, it definitely got a lot slower,” local realtor Anna Phelps observes. For buyers and tenants, especially young families, these changes have brought new challenges but also the prospect of finally reentering the market. The real estate market’s surge
was noted across the country near the end of 2020, and the wave continued to collect momentum amidst the drastically affected economy at this time. “So many people were buying and selling during Covid. Plus the interest rates were going way down,” Phelps says. Goldendale was found in the crossfire of this seller’s market surge, experiencing sharp, year-over-year increases in housing prices amidst the early 2020s, carrying itself all the way to the middle of the decade. Now an inevitable shift in the market has begun to take place. “Things are just kind of settling, even from that.” Phelps adds. The town’s limited construction since 2000 left supply tight as de-
mand climbed. Buyers seeking rural life, affordability, and more space found Klickitat County attractive. “The houses literally could not stay on the market,” Phelps states. “They would be on the market for a day at most, and then they would be snatched up.” The initial seller’s market and the sudden shifts in population
Vets get helping hand in county
panies,” Phelps considers. This is in contrast to 10 years ago, when such options were far more limited. “Having that availability made it possible for people to actually move to Goldendale.” An income that could support a mortgage was open to more people in Goldendale and the broader Klickitat County area. With this newfound availability, demand increased in tandem. “The prices went up significantly because houses were selling.” Fuel for the seller’s market bonfire dwindled entering 2025, however, and buyers began to turn away. “When you have a lack of buyers, the supply goes up, and the prices start to come down.” Phelps explains, “That has definitely happened this year.” With more homeowners looking to cap-
See Homes page A8
Businesses hurt in fire could still get help Rodger Nichols For The Sentinel
Melissa Uhles For The Sentinel Recently Michael Watts was hired as Klickitat County’s new Veterans Service Officer (VSO). According to the County’s website, he is able to assist veterans, dependents, and survivors of veterans. Services provided include help filing claims with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for health care services, disability compensation, non-service connected pensions, aid and attendance, educational benefits, vocational rehabilitation, burial reimbursements, and benefit applications for other local, state, and federal agencies. I reached out to ask Mr. Watts a few more clarifying questions about his new role. Sentinel: What other services should veterans know about that aren’t on the website? Watts: I assist veterans and their families with various needs, including requesting important records like the DD-214 and home loan guarantee certifications. I also provide references for homeless veterans and guide individuals to research sites such as the National Medal of Honor Museum, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. Sentinel: Should a veteran call and make an appointment to see you, or are there walk-in hours available? Watts: To ensure I can be thorough and diligent in my duties, I prefer to schedule appointments that allow adequate time. A typical appointment lasts around three hours. I am continuously training for new accreditations and certifications, and I antici-
did not leave Goldendale unaffected. Rural areas were a target after the post-Covid remote work revolution. “All these people who wanted to get out of the city were told to go work at home,” Phelps says. “Now, if you’re being told you’re going to work at home, you don’t have to live in the city any more.” Not all rural areas were a draw; the stipulation was access to quality internet. Conveniently, Goldendale had addressed this exact infrastructure only a few years before. “The nice thing about Goldendale is that it has high-speed internet, so all these people who have stay-at-home jobs have their choice of high-speed internet com-
Contributed: Jennifer Watts
VETS AID: Michael Watts is Klickitat County’s new Veterans Service Officer. pate that this will help speed up the process in the coming year. Sentinel: How are these services different from what a VA office might offer? Watts: As a VSO for Klickitat County, I am one of many accredited by the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs. We all use the same Power of Attorney Code (046) for access to information, but we cannot see what other organizations, like the VFW or American Legion, are doing. [A Power of Attorney Code (046) is part of an RCW that allows one to act on behalf of another person, particularly in regard to healthcare matters.] Sentinel: Tell me about your background. Watts: As a veteran myself, having served in the United States Marine Corps and retired as a Gunnery Sergeant in 2005, I am passionate about helping
other veterans and their families. Outside of my work, I enjoy the outdoors and spending time with my family, including my wife, one grandchild, four dogs, and four cats. While researching for this article, I also learned that the Veterans’ Service office is doing outreach for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Their video promotes the message: Speak up, save lives. They encourage you to say something if someone you know is in crisis. If you are thinking of taking your own life, think about the loved ones you would leave behind. Reach out to a friend or call the Veteran’s Crisis Line: Dial 988 and then press 1. For veterans in our region, other resources include: The American Legion, which provides members with social opportunities. These include bingo
See Vets page A8
Did your business suffer substantial loss in the Burdoin Fire? If so, the Klickitat County Emergency Management Department would like to hear from you. Filiberto Ontiveros, who serves as chief of operations and 9-1-1 coordinator, told Klickitat County Commissioners at their September 9 meeting that even though not enough homes were lost to qualify for FEMA aid, it would still be possible to get assistance through the Small Business Administration. “We need five businesses to have sustained 40% loss or more,” he said. “We know there’s a winery, we know there are some orchards, we don’t know if there are other home businesses in that footprint along with the agricultural part. It seems like it’s a goal that could be attainable. We just need that information from those in that area who have businesses that sustained 40% loss, or any loss, period. That would be good to know so that we can continue looking through other assistance programs.” He also reported on some of the ups and downs experienced by dispatchers recently. “Over the last month or so, it has been quite a stressful workload,” he said, “going from the Burdoin fire to the Snyder Canyon fire to the Bickleton fire, on and on. Then shortly after that, we dealt with the passing of Chief Nolan from Wahkiacus. That was a big hit for our team and for the community. It’s a small department. They’re going through a drastic change right now and working through that.” But there are positives as well. “The last two weeks we have had two baby birth calls,” Ontiveros said. “Those are very rare in our service. However, they’re apparently not so rare in Klickitat County anymore.” He said in the
most recent call, the delivery was completed by EMS services, and he got to be part of that team. In the earlier event, he said, Communications Officer Leo was able to provide assistance delivering a healthy baby girl. “That telephone call went through the entire full transition of that delivery, and you get to hear the baby’s first cry as well. That’s pretty neat, and emotions are running a little positive now with that.” He said mom and baby planned to visit the dispatch offices this past Friday. Prosecuting Attorney David Quesnel told commissioners his office was short-staffed with one employee on medical leave until January. He reminded them that in 2015 they had reduced the number of assistants from six to four to save money. The downside, he said, was that it left the department with a very lean operation, especially with multiple felony cases pending. He received permission to advertise for a 90-day temporary position, on assuring the commissioners there was enough money to cover the temporary position. In the afternoon session, Treasurer Greg Gallagher proposed a one-tenth of one percent criminal justice sales tax to fund law enforcement, corrections, and probation services. He estimated it would bring in $325,000 a year. Ten percent would go to the county off the top, and the remaining 90 percent would be distributed between the county and the two cities on a population basis. He said in order for it to take effect on January 1, it had to be passed by October 17. A public hearing would be required, and he said if there were a request for a hearing, ready to be approved at next week’s meeting, there would be time to get the notice for a public hearing on October 7, with an approval vote on that date or the following week.
See County page A8
Contributed: Henry Duyck
UP UP AND AWAY: The Kongregation of Balloons event last weekend drew fans of unusual aerial phenomena to the Goldendale airport. Our story last weekend inadvertently cited the wrong person as Kong–that person was Jeff Shields. We got the wrong information from another source.