SERVING ALL OF KLICKITAT COUNTY
Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2021
Vol. 142 No. 49
$1.00
Shooting scare at high school said not to be a real threat LOU MARZELES EDITOR A flurry of anxious speculation from the public and general statements from some involved officials has accompanied word of a Goldendale High School (GHS) student who allegedly threatened to “shoot up the school” last week. A combination of school administration and Goldendale police intervention determined there was no real threat on the part of the student who sent the message. Goldendale police acknowledge being called and responding to the potential threat, which according to reports was delivered through texts sent to another student who then reported it. “The incident was reported to police and investigated,” Goldendale Chief of Police Jay Hunziker states. “The investigating officer talked with the parents and the
juvenile involved along with the complainant and others who knew of the threatening messages. The parents and the juvenile involved are cooperating fully with police and the school.” Hunziker says the investigating officer did not find the threat of violence credible and determined “the juvenile did not have access to any firearms at his residence. This incident is being taken seriously. The police department will be present at the school threat assessment meeting.” That meeting is scheduled for today, December 8. According to RCW and the policies of most school districts, such a meeting is standard procedure when a threat is perceived; it includes school administrators and counselors along with law enforcement. Hunziker added the police found no history of prior problems with the juvenile in question.
Goldendale School District Superintendent Ellen Perconti issued a statement last Wednesday, saying, “Monday morning, GHS received information regarding a student who had made statements that were perceived as a possible threat. The student was pulled aside before entering classes on Monday morning prior to any interaction with students. The situation was handled professionally and appropriately by [Goldendale High School Principal] Mr. Westerman and GHS staff.” Perconti was asked if reports on social media that the student was suspended were accurate. She first cited the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) as authority to say she was not allowed to address the student’s possible suspension. An initial review of FERPA provisions did not reveal prohibitions on sharing disciplinary
See School page B5
TOP AND ABOVE: CONTRIBUTED. MIDDLE: LOU MARZELES.
CELEBRATING AND SHOPPING: Top, a nativity program last week at the Goldendale Seventh-day Adventist Church. Middle, the Tin Barn Christmas bazaar Saturday morning. Above, the Christmas bazaar in Centerville Saturday. THE CONSERVATION FUND
SDS LAND SALES: This map close-up shows lands sold by SDS Lumber in Klickitat County, color coded by buyer. Yellow is Green Diamond, red is The Conservation Fund, the green circle at Bingen is WKO, gray is the Yakama Nation, dark green is the U.S. government, light green is state government.
Details unfolding on SDS sale The sale of SDS Lumber Com- the Conservation Fund, now actpany and its 96,000 acres of near- ing as “Lupine Forest;” and Carby timberlands became final son-based lumber mill WKO, Inc. on November 17, a week before (Wilkens, Kaiser & Olsen, Inc.). Thanksgiving. Local reaction (Each was more fully described to the details has ranged from in the October 6, 2021, Sentinel article, “SDS hallelujahs to Sale Nears horror. While Completion.”) important asITIZEN ANDY Focusing pects of the first on the tr ansac ti on— 96,000 acres of like price—retimberlands, main subject to there were non-disclosure surprises. The agreements, the broader outlines of the deal are role of the Conservation Fund, initially described in vague clearer and a bit surprising. Three major players are in- terms, turns out to be more volved: Green Diamond Re- important than previously resource Company, an investor vealed. The Conservation Fund in and manager of timberlands will acquire over a third of the under Twin Creeks Timber LLC; total timberlands, with about 30,000 acres located primarily between the White Salmon and the Klickitat Rivers. An additional 5,000 acres are in Wasco County. The acquired lands will be known as Lupine Forest. The Conservation Fund’s priorities included water qual-
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News analysis by Sandra DeMent
ity, wildlife habitat protection, salmon recovery, oak habitat, and revenue from logging. Evan Smith, a senior vice president, points to the oak habitat above the Klickitat River as sheltering all kinds of wildlife, birds, and flowers. “This part of Klickitat County has 90% of the oak habitat of Washington State. It’s one of the [state’s] only large concentrations of oak habitat.” While the Conservation Fund is pledging “public access,” it is not clear if this includes hunting for turkey, bear, and deer. And it seems unlikely that they will continue to lease their timberlands to ranchers to graze cattle during the summers; cattle tend not to improve stream quality. Knowledgeable observers say there won’t be the same industrial forestry focus as previously. While it was expected that Green Diamond would own and manage the lion’s share of the 96,000 acres, the final portion of lands acquired by Twin Creeks
See SDS page B1
City wins Ecology award for wastewater RODGER NICHOLS FOR THE SENTINEL The Goldendale City Council started its December 6 meeting on a positive note, as City Administrator Larry Bellamy announced the city had received an award from the Washington State Department of Ecology. “This is an outstanding award for 2020,” Bellamy said, “recognizing the exemplary effort and work accomplished by the City of Goldendale and the dedicated team at the City of Goldendale wastewater treatment plant. Thank you for protecting and keeping Washington’s waters clean.” Police Chief Jay Hunziker reported on an unresponsive man found on the 600 block of South King Street on the evening of December 2. He said the man did not respond to attempts to revive him and was pronounced dead at the scene, that the family had been notified, and the name would not be released, pending an autopsy. Chief Hunziker was very clear that the department found no ev-
idence of criminal activity in the investigation. “It’s floating out there on Facebook and social media and other places,” he said, “but again there’s nothing to indicate that we have anything other than maybe natural causes.” Local citizen Ken McCune expressed concern with Klickitat County’s plans to tear down the current annex building, once all the offices have moved to the new building. He urged the council to urge the county to consider declaring it surplus and selling it to a developer for office space or storefronts. Steve Johnston, who took his place on the council following the November election, suggested that the county at least explore the option to put the building back on the tax rolls, but the idea did not draw interest from other council members Later in the meeting, under the public comment section, Klickitat County Commissioner Dan Christopher explained why the county
See City page B1