HEADLINES & HISTORY SINCE 1879
Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021
Vol. 142 No. 41
ABOVE: CONTRIBUTED. GRAPHIC: THE SENTINEL
GOLDENDALE REINDEER FACEBOOK
NO, THANKS: Workers throughout the county—and the country—are not going after jobs, even though there are far more jobs than there are unemployed people.
DEAR REINDEER: It’s new and fun: Goldendale Reindeer farm is open for tours and visits. Get up close with a reindeer and enjoy the Pumplin Patch.
LOU MARZELES EDITOR Wanted: more jobs. No, scratch that. Instead, wanted: more workers. No, that doesn’t work, either. There are plenty of workers around—there are far more jobs available than there are unemployed people. But even though almost everywhere you look there are businesses trying to hire people, the people are not showing up, despite the facts that Covid relief measures are soon to run out. The trend is mystifying industry observers all over the country—the phenomenon is nationwide—and here in Klickitat County, there are plenty of businesses feeling the no-employee crunch. Harvest Market in White Salmon put up a sign in its window a while back saying its hours were changing. Why? A Facebook posting said it was “Due to lack of employees.” Not long ago the Town House restaurant in Goldendale said it was having trouble keeping some food and supplies in stock. How come? “Some of our suppliers are having trouble getting employees to drive and deliver,” one restaurant worker said. That’s very irritating when you really want your biscuits and gravy to go, and
Reindeer right here in town TAYLER BRADLEY FOR THE SENTINEL
there’s no wrapper in the to-go container because a supplier can’t get them in, and your food starts to leak through the cardboard container. All because would-be employees won’t be employees. The condition afflicts stores and offices large and small, from the post office to some stores commenting only off the record. The easy speculation is that benefits have been so good, there’s no incentive for people to work. That idea presumes that the bulk of the workforce is incredibly lazy and they’re astonishingly short-sighted, unaware or uncaring that the fruits of Covid help just falling off the trees are about to vanish. If this presumption were accurate, that would raise whole other concerns about the
nature of the people who service so much of society. Of course there is talk nationwide that workers see greener pastures now, after they were forced to shun the workplace during the worst of Covid. While that seems to be accurate in some professions, it can’t be said to be true across the sprawling spectrum of employment types. The bottom line is, there is no bottom line explanation, only oracles amateur and professional alike struggling to read tea leaves in murky waters. Whatever the reasons, the reality is, workers are hard to find, despite the fact that jobs are plentiful. “It’s annoying,” says one Goldendale business owner who
doesn’t want to be identified. “We have one of the highest minimum wages in the country,” second only to California, “and we just can’t get workers in here. Or else they come and then they suddenly disappear, no notice, nothing, just gone. No basic common courtesy.” She wonders about the work ethic among younger people in town. “It used to be it was a privilege to have a job, a sign you were serious and committed and thinking about your future.” She points a finger at young people, and it’s true that a lot of jobs around town are aimed at young people, but the trend can’t be confined to a single demography. There’s a huge lack of truck drivers everywhere; if you have
See Jobs page B1
Get that chainsaw sharpened here in town LOU MARZELES EDITOR The world seems to favor people who just have a natural knack for doing things. Steve Priddy is a good example: word gradually got out that he could fix small equipment, and now he’s hung out a shingle that says Goldendale Equipment, just in time for winter wood cutting. All of you who need your chainsaws in good working order, Steve is your go-to guy. Sharpening and repairing chainsaws is one of his specialties, and he saves people the long haul to The Dalles, which
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is where you used to have to go for such a service. Just call him at (509) 767-7361, or shoot him an email at GoldendaleEquipment@ gmail.com. “I started the business back in March, and it just been kind of word of mouth going around,” Steve recalls. “People found out I was doing small equipment repair, tractor repair, working on chainsaws, all that kind of stuff. I’ve been in the agriculture repair industry for almost 35 years, and people just knew what my background was and asked me if I could work on their things. I got a lot of encouragement from
customers that I should start my own business.” Steve has a big shop at his house, so he does all the repairs out there and is getting ready to put in an office, too. He’s got the space and tools to do a wide range of equipment repair, though he can’t do the monster-sized stuff. “I try to stay on the tractor end of it,” he says. “I try to stay not much bigger than a 90-horse tractor, just because
I don’t have the equipment to handle the bigger tractors.” He’s recently become a Kohler dealer, and he can do regular repairs and warranty repairs. “I have parts in stock. I have an engine in stock. I’m also an authorized service dealer for MTD, which is one of the big manufacturers of mowers,” he says. He’s also an authorized service dealer for Husqavarna, which owns American Yard Products. “So I can also do warranty work for both of those companies.” And then there’s chainsaws. Steve knew that there were a ton of people around the area hauling their chainsaws down to The Dalles for repair and sharpening. “I felt we really needed that up here,” he says. “Nobody else does it around here.” And he carries Barr oil and two-stroke oil for chainsaws. Got a sick mower? Steve’s your man. And if you can’t get the mower to Steve, Steve will come to the mower. “I’ve got a trailer,” he points out. “I can pick up and deliver your mower for an added fee.” Steve believes his prices are very competitive. “Especially parts-wise,” he says. “I just go with the suggested prices that my vendors are telling me. I should be pretty close to everybody else.” With an eye on the future, Steve says he’ll be able to offer new equipment and supplies at some point. “Within two to three years, I’m hoping to build a little bit bigger shop with a showroom in it,” he states. “At that time, I’ll start selling equipment. Who knows, I may start selling it before then. It depends.” So Goldendale finally has a service it’s needed for a long time, and just in time. Word around town from weather-savvy folks is that this is going to be a rough winter.
There were a ton of people hauling their chainsaws down to The Dalles.
PEGGY WOODARD
WALL ART: Scott and Felicia Gray were on scaffolding last week working on a mural on the side of the building on the southeast corner of Main and Columbus. The mural is part of a new project to add artwork in prominent public places around town.
The holiday season is upon us. There’s Halloween, then Thanksgiving and Christmas are all fast approaching, which means spending time with family and friends. There is always lots of great places to visit and get into the holiday cheer. In Goldendale, we have one of those great places: Goldendale Reindeer. Tucked away on a gorgeous piece of land is the farm of folks who bring us pumpkin patch fun paired with some remarkable reindeer. Owners Daniel Connell and Tanya Clarke always have had a love for them and finally got the chance to live out their dream. Daniel and Tanya are both emergency room nurses with a love for the outdoors, hiking, travel, and animals. After working a hard shift one night during Covid, Tanya made the comment to start a reindeer farm. Daniel said, “Let’s do it,” and there was no turning back. They spent six weeks traveling back and forth from their home in northern California to Goldendale to find just the right property. They started their business this past spring when the reindeer came to their new home. They spent the summer learning to handle them and getting them used to the new routine. They have five reindeer: Sprinkles, Jingle Bell, Willow, Holly, and Palmer. Daniel and Tanya were very excited for their new adventure, and October 1 was the official opening date. They have loved every minute so far. What can you expect at this great place? Well, first they have reindeer tours. On this tour you will learn some fun facts about these amazing animals, and then you will get the opportunity to interact with them. You can feed them, take pictures, and lead one. They also have a pumpkin patch. They really wanted to add pumpkins to their farm, so they drove to Silverton, Oregon, and got 5,000 pounds of pumpkins. If you would like to come visit, you can register online. Tours are open year-round; they are $15 per person, and they try to keep the groups as small as possible. The Pumpkin Patch is open from 1 to 3 p.m., and you can pick out a pumpkin for $10. Or if you just want to visit the farm and spend time with friends, it’s a $2 admission fee. They will have more fun things coming soon as well—turkeys, maybe more reindeer, and possibly some babies. So be on the lookout for some fun things to happen in the future. It’s a great overall experience for all ages. Daniel and Tanya have loved every minute of their new endeavor and wouldn’t change a thing. Daniel says one of his favorite things about their business is, “The looks on everyone’s face when they come to the property. They just light up when they see the reindeer.” They really wanted to share their fun enjoyable experiences with others. Daniel and Tanya
See Reindeer page B1