OpiniOn Board to address update to directors map

School boards were created by the Washington State Legislature to set direction and policy, oversee operations, and to adopt and monitor the district budget. Boards do this work in a collaborative manner, researching topics, listening to perspectives, and determining actions. School board members are elected from areas within specific boundaries to ensure that the board represents the varied perspectives of the District. Some school districts opt to have “at large” directors rather than selecting from a specific area within the district boundaries. At this time, the GSD board feels that maintaining the five director areas is appropriate in order to fulfill the board’s purpose.

Ellen Perconti

A map of current director areas can be found on the Klickitat County Elections website under the ‘Maps” tab. These boundaries were established in 2011 and were based on the 2010 census data.

The overall Goldendale School District area grew by 575 people from 2010 to 2020. This change in population created unequal director areas and means that reconfiguring the director areas is necessary to even out the areas of representation. Based on the information the District was provided, the imbalance to the Director areas is seen most in Director areas 4 and 2, with Director area 4 having the most significant increase in population. Director area 4 currently encompasses the northeast through southeast section of the district boundaries. Director area 2 is the center portion of Goldendale.

Goldendale Board of Directors has engaged Sammamish Data Systems to review the Board Director area boundaries based on the 2020 census data. There are some basic requirements to drawing the director areas. The areas must be as equal as possible in population and be contiguous geographical blocks. The proposed new boundaries can be viewed on the Goldendale School District website by going to “About us-School Board.”

The board will consider a resolution to redraw the director area boundaries at their February 21 meeting. The meeting is at 7 p.m. in the Goldendale High School Cafeteria. Prior to taking action on the proposed boundaries, the board will take public comment regarding the changes.

Here is a link to director area boundaries information: www.goldendaleschools.org/Page/303.

Burn-out has got to go

The Festival of Wheels gave it another try this year. It seems the attendance has dwindled to much lower levels than when the event was new, 10 years ago. There are a lot of competing car shows this time of year, so it doesn’t surprise me .

This year Goldendale Motorsports Association and ABATE brought back the burn-out, which was tried several times in the past with questionable benefits to the town. This year someone had the brilliant idea to use the old skateboard park as a place to stage the return of the burnout. It was held on the concrete slab, a tempting medium for anyone inclined to bum rubber. Rednecks of many degrees, punk kids or maybe the little old lady from Pasadena.

I personally was left with a bad taste in my mouth and lungs. Even though I made it a point to stay away from the burn-out and was at my home where I thought I would escape the noise and smoke, when the toxic cloud rose from the park and drifted over the Little Klickitat River Park (the swimming pool) on to the kids and families at the pool and on to me while I was sitting on my property. We were contaminated by the toxins in the smoke, and my eyes and throat were imitated, and my lungs filled with carbon monoxide and other cancer causing toxic compounds for three hours.

I think the city of Goldendale needs to rethink supporting burnouts in our park. Next year don’t issue a permit to any group that wants to burn-out. There are places in the county where it could be held, just not in the city please. I hate toxic smoke, and you should too.

On Sept 4 I will be asking the mayor and his administration to make an ordinance forbidding anyone from reckless unsafe burnouts in any ones neighborhood or any street in the Goldendale city limits. I would appreciate some support from like-minded citizens at the council meeting. Let them know how you feel.

Ken

McKune Goldendale

C

I recently received an updated “Terms for Business and Deposit Account Agreement” from Columbia Bank. I am not in the habit of reading the fine print but for some reason this time I did. I came across an “added” line that I found very concerning. Again, this line is both for personal and business accounts. It reads: “We may refuse to open and account and may close your account at any time for any reason or for no reason at all.”

“For No Reason At All” I particularly found offensive.

I contacted the bank for an explanation. The answer was essentially that “we wouldn’t do that.” Then why is it in your documents, I asked. The answer was to send me up the chain of command. The second person gave the same answer as the first and then was to have me con- tacted by some-one higher up. That person has not contacted me after more than a week so I am following through on what I told the bank contacts I was going to do—write a letter to the editor to be sure local folks are aware of how Columbia Bank is choosing to deal with its account holders. My concern is that a comment as broad as this opens the door for abuse. I have had no difficulties with our local branch and am sorry that the headquarters has decided to take such a hard line. It ap-pears I will need to look for a bank that does not behave in this manner.

Ken Margraf Goldendale