HAVE A BLESSED THANKSGIVING DAY!
Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021
Vol. 142 No. 47
$1.00
Columbia-Umpqua merger: no big changes yet LOU MARZELES EDITOR While the imminent union of Columbia and Umpqua banks has been in the public eye for some weeks now, folks in Goldendale are wondering what it means for their respective branches, directly across the street from each other. A corporate spokesman tells The Sentinel nothing will change—at least until the middle of next year. “Until we complete a systems conversion, it’s pretty much business as usual,” he said, by which he meant ensuring the banks’ technologies can totally match up. That conversion is more than a year away, anticipated for March of 2023. But beyond that, there’s a lot still hanging in the air, such as approvals from shareholders of both banks and regulatory agencies. “We don’t foresee major issues,” the
spokesman said, “and we expect those approvals to conclude in the middle of 2022.” What about names of the respective banks? “The parent company of the combined banks will still be named Columbia Banking System. The combined bank name will be Umpqua Bank.” Does that mean there could be two branches of Umpqua Bank across the street from each other in Goldendale? The spokesman didn’t have an answer for that yet. “There could be consolidation of branches in the future,” he said, “with ample notice in advance.” He did emphasize customers should not anticipate any disruption in their services and accounts in either bank. Information on the merger will continue to be updated and can be seen at ColumbiaBank. com/Umpqua.
Employees, WAGAP offer differing explanations on vaccine stands LOU MARZELES EDITOR
NAOMI JAMES
GLOAMING MIST: Heavy cold fog hung over the area much of the weekend, producing a misty luminescence.
Former employees of Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) who worked in the Goldendale office are claiming they left—by dismissal or resignation—as a result of unfair practices by the organization in the face of their opposition to Covid vaccination. WAGAP says the employees misread the organization’s intentions and actions. Mary Bodeau held a supervisory position in the Goldendale WAGAP office and served as its housing development coordinator. She began work there in September, being hired after a previous stint with WAGAP from 2015 to 2017. Per a notice sent to all WAGAP employees in August, she learned that she, along with all employees of WAGAP, would have to be vaccinated for Covid-19 by October 18. The demand was anathema to Bodeau. A practicing Catholic with a new baby, she felt being forced to be vaccinated in order to keep her job was wrong as a matter of policy and potentially fraught with danger. A religious pamphlet she’d read warned, “Certain questions remain open about the vaccine, such as its effects on pregnant women, unborn children, fertility, and other medical factors… Many of these things will not be known without further medical research.” “I just don’t wish to contribute
to that testing,” Bodeau says. “I have made a conscious decision based on morals and religion to not inject [the vaccine] into my body when the side effects could potentially be sterilization and/ or death for certain individuals. I strongly believe an individual who has done their research and wants to get the vaccine should certainly do so, but I also believe if you have done your research, with a vaccine that has these side effects, and you do not wish to inject it in your body, then that is also your choice. It should not be a condition of employment if it could potentially affect you in a negative way.” For those reasons, Bodeau began considering a religious exemption request. Then another employee, under Bodeau’s supervision, submitted the same request. On August 30, “[That employee] received an email back from Leslie [Naramore, WAGAP’s executive director] saying, ‘Your exemption is valid,’” Bodeau recalls. Naramore asked if the employee was available to talk about the request. The employee agreed, and it was decided they would do it by phone. “Hearing this, it gave me a sense of relief that our agency validated us, our beliefs, and valued us to try to keep us employed with them,” Bodeau states. “I felt confident and turned in my religious exemption request on September 1, 2021.” A while later, Bodeau’s employee came to her and said she hadn’t
heard back from Naramore about her request, so Bodeau emailed Naramore to ask about it. Minutes later, Naramore called Bodeau, with Patty Gallardo, WAGAP’s Human Resources (HR) coordinator, on the line. They were calling to talk not about the employee’s request but Bodeau’s. “Leslie asked me how I could work from home,” Bodeau says. “She said that was the only acceptable way for me to stay employed.” Bodeau ran down a variety of options for working remotely that she said would be effective. Naramore told her they would not work, Bodeau says. Then Naramore added a question that startled Bodeau: “She asked me, since the Pope was on board [with the vaccine], how come I wasn’t on board? “In my eyes, the Pope does not speak for me, as I have done my research and do not feel it is the choice for me,” Bodeau says. “Leslie went on to ask me about the J&J [Johnson & Johnson] vaccine, which is derived from aborted fetal cells. She then advised me to speak with my doctor about it. I did not feel that was a professional way to have a conversation about this situation.” In response to questions from The Sentinel, WAGAP staff, advisors, and board members collectively submitted prepared statements. In regard to the Pope question, they wrote, “Unfortunately, Ms. Bodeau’s request for
See WAGAP page B1
Touch of Class almost 30 years on TAYLER BRADLEY FOR THE SENTINEL
WASHINGTON REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE
NEW DISTRICTS?: For the first time, the Washington Supreme Court will finalize redistricting after the committee charged with the task missed its deadline. These maps show proposed districts.
Touch of Class Dance Studio, something many of us know, is one of the incredible opportunities offered in our community. This studio has been around for almost 30 years now and still maintains its level of class. Owner Gina Mosbrucker is grateful to be able to pass along her lifelong love of the arts and dance to young athletes who are eager to learn. She remembers her own parents driving her to practices, allowing her to follow her dreams, and that is what she wants to be able to give to the community. What started out as just a few dance and gymnastics classes has turned into a studio that offers so much more. Touch of Class now offers tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, hip hop, modern, and character dance, as well as cheerleading,
gymnastics, performance and competition teams, and martial arts classes. There is something for everyone at this studio. As for the competition teams, they have competed in many different places all over the country. Currently they have two teams that are working on routines for competing. The All-Star Team USA Cheer Squad and the Dream Team USA dance team. This past fall the All-Star Cheer Squad represented Washington at the 2021 Pig Bowl in The Dalles, Oregon. They will also be working towards going to Disneyland to compete with the NCA (National Cheerleaders Association) and training for national championships. The Dream Team is working on duos, solos, trios, and group dances for future summer competitions and some local performances. Needless to say, both teams are putting in long hours of practice to reach
huge goals. In the past, Touch of Class Studio teams have competed in Dance Magic Nationals, Spotlight Dance Cup, Star Search TV Show, Tremaine Productions, I Love Dance Productions, National Cheerleading Association, and World Championships of Performing Arts in Los Angeles against more than 50 countries. Over the years, the teams have brought home gold, silver, and bronze medals, cash awards, and college scholarships. They have also brought home thousands of trophies, amazing accomplishments over the last 30 years. Gina loves what she does but says her favorite part is, “Building self-esteem and confidence in youth that can last forever. We build skills that can last a lifetime and change futures.” With that there are some exciting new
See Class page B1