Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune, February 21, 2013

Page 1

Wrestling and hoops

MORE LETTERS

tournaments come to an end.

Community debate about Assisted Living closing continues. See Page A5.

See Pages A4 and A7.

SERVING WASHINGTON’S

OKANOGAN VALLEY

SINCE 1905

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Tonasket schools to delay full day plan

Wolf bills pass out of Senate

FIT FOR A QUEEN

School board, administrators look to craft alternate plan that is sustainable, affordable revealed to districts until months after they are required to have their budgets completed. Superintendent Paul Turner also TONASKET - No one was happy about it, but most all agreed it was noted that he was mistaken sharing that the LEA shortfall figure necessary. Despite a two-year plan that is as being $72,000 at the previous already one year into implementa- meeting. The board and administrators tion, the Tonasket School Board voted after a lengthy work session spent several hours discussing on Monday, Feb. 11, to delay put- potential options for finding ways ting the second year of a plan in to get the school day back to its place that would have returned 45 intended length without spendminutes to the district school day. ing the anticipated additional $350,000 it will Those minutes to get there. were cut from “It’s a case of slowing take And while there the schedule in down and realizing the were a number the 1990s due to realities we’ve encoun- of ideas shared budget shortfalls the at the time. tered as we go along.” during brainstorming Getting that Jerry Asmussen, session, with the time back on Tonasket School Board Chair necessity of prethe schedule paring for next has been longyear looming discussed but problematic for years, and recent just weeks away, the possibility of budgetary issues are making that coming up with a creative plan in that time that was also sustainable goal once again difficult to reach. Some of those issues not was unlikely. “I think we can be innovative,” accounted for when the plan was considered last spring included said high school principal Jeff (but weren’t limited to) higher Hardesty. “But we can’t be innovathan anticipated expenses for both tive if we have two weeks to put regular and long-term substitute something together.” After the work session, the teachers; going slightly over budget with the new technology position; board re-opened the meeting to higher insurance (over $7,000) and determine what to do about the utility ($28,000) costs; higher than two-year plan. Catherine Stangland, who has anticipated special education costs due to the specific needs of stu- advocated for the return of the dents; and significantly, a $50,000 full-length day for years, moved to postpone full implementation for cut to LEA funding. Rises in insurance and util- another year, while expressing her ity costs had been anticipated frustration at having to do so. “I’ll second it with, like Cathy and worked into the budget, the shortfall was over and above those said, severe reservations,” said anticipated increases. The meth- board member Ty Olson. “I’m od of putting together the budget frustrated that we got to this point was also discussed, including the fact that state funding levels aren’t SEE DELAY | PG A2

Would allow trapping, killing gray wolves without permit under certain circumstances

BY BRENT BAKER

BBAKER@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM

BY KYLEE ZABEL, REPORTER WNPA OLYMPIA NEWS BUREAU

Gary DeVon/staff photo

Shelby Scott (right) was crowned the 2013 May Festival Queen at the Royalty Selection Night held last Monday evening in the Oroville High School Commons. Angela Nelson (left) is this year’s May Festival Princess. The girls, both juniors at OHS, gave speeches and participated in a modeling and poise competition on the runway. They each also answered an impromptu question from the judges, before the votes were counted from the judges and community. Queen Shelby is the daughter of Kim and Brad Scott and Princess Angela is the daughter of Marcie and Alan Nelson. The new royalty will reign over the upcoming May Festival which takes place the second weekend in May, as well as representing Oroville at various parades, functions and events around the region.

Bonaparte Creek/Mill Drive annexation completed BY BRENT BAKER BBAKER@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM

TONASKET - “It’s been a long time coming,” Tonasket Mayor Patrick Plumb said of the Bonaparte Creek/Mill Drive annexation that was approved by the city council at its Tuesday, Feb. 12 meeting. The annexation, which finally brought the area on the south end of the city into the city limits, came about in order to give residents in the area the ability to hook up to the city sewer and water system. “This has been a long time coming,” said city planner Kurt Danison. “There was an issue with water quality in Bonaparte Creek, and the city stepped up to the plate and decided to look for funding to put in a sewer system to replace the existing septic systems in place.” The city was able to apply for grants funding to help construct the addition to the system, but it was contingent upon the area becoming part of the city. The residents petitioned the city to annex their neighborhood; the annexation was contingent up on the city receiving the funding to put the sewer system in, which has only come about recently.

“The city has received the grant funds,” Danison said. “The sewer project made significant headway this past fall and will start back up again March 1, if they’re able to. Those of you who live in the unincorporated area, by the end of 2013 will have a connection to the Tonasket sewer system.” “I just think it’s a win-win,” said council member Scott Olson just prior to the council’s unanimous approval of the annexation ordinance. “It just makes sense for Mill Drive ... they are part of the community and it makes sense for them to have benefits of the infrastructure ... welcome aboard; it’s great.” The council also approved a partial alley vacation to allow a resident to add onto his home in the additional five feet of property made available to him. It also reviewed the updated comprehensive plan, but Olson raised concerns that a number of areas were not zoned for the uses that were already taking place in various parts of the city. The council voted to sent the comprehensive plan back to the planning commission to be reconsidered and possibly amended. In other business, the council approved putting the Third/

OKANOGAN VALLEY GAZETTE-TRIBUNE Volume 109 No. 08

Fifth/Sixth Street project out for bid. They also approved a kennel permit within town, though council member Jill Vugteveen voted against the approval since she felt the requester was trying to get approval for an already existent kennel, as opposed to going through the process first. Karen Monnin delivered petitions to the council with 354 petitions requesting the council approve an ordinance to allow ATV use within the city limits. Plumb accepted the petitions on behalf of the city and said that the issue would be discussed at the next council meeting, which he said Okanogan County commissioner Jim DeTro was expected to attend. The council also heard a presentation from Jennifer Korfiatis of the North Central Washington Economic Development District, highlighted by information that the EDD’s Canadian counterpart in the Okanagan was interested in finding ways to help their larger base of tourists discover the U.S. side of the border. Danison was appointed by the council to represent Tonasket on the EDD board. The city council’s next meeting is Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall in Tonasket.

Senate Natural Resources and Parks Committee last week approved two bills that would reduce the restraints on landowners and county legislative authorities from lethally removing a wolf posing an immediate threat to livestock and/or domestic animals. Both bills have been sent to the Rules Committee for floor-vote consideration. Substitute Senate Bill (SSB) 5187 would allow livestock-owners, their family members and employees to trap or kill Sheilah Kennedy gray wolves without a permit from the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) if their livestock or domestic animals were being attacked. The wolf must be an immediate threat to livestock and other animals and if a wolf is killed and is not found to have been an immediate threat, the taking of that wolf would violate DFW rules. However, conservation groups and some lawmakers are con-

“We should have the authority to make those tough decisions when they are before us and they are devastating the people of our county,.” Sheilah Kennedy, Okanogan County Commissioner

Brent Baker/staff photo

Lee Hale is sworn onto the Tonasket City Council by City Clerk Alice Attwood at the council’s Tuesday, Feb. 11 meeting. He’ll join council members Jill Vugteveen (rear), Scott Olson, Jean Ramsey and Dennis Brown by filling a seat that has been vacant since December.

Hale takes council seat BY BRENT BAKER BBAKER@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM

TONASKET – The Tonasket City Council had a full agenda for its Tuesday, Feb. 11, meeting, but before launching into most of it filled a seat that had been empty since Selena Hines resigned in December. Lee Hale was appointed to the vacant seat. The council had received applications from Hale and Sue Edick. After interviewing Edick at the Jan. 22 meeting and Hale on Tuesday, the council met in a brief executive session to review and

discuss their submitted letters and qualifications. Mayor Patrick Plumb cast the deciding vote after the council split 2-2 on Ramsey’s motion to confirm Hale, with council members Ramsey and Dennis Brown voting for while Jill Vugteveen and Scott Olson voted against. Plumb said that, considering Edick’s qualifications, he was planning on offering her the opportunity to fill an empty seat on the planning commission. Hale took his seat immediately and participated in the remainder of the meeting.

SEE WOLVES | PG A2

INSIDE THIS EDITION

CONTACT US Newsroom and Advertising (509) 476-3602 gdevon@gazette-tribune.com

cerned about the effect the legislation could have on present wolf management programs if passed into law. Mitch Friedman of Conservation Northwest would prefer the legislature to take a look at improving non-lethal management techniques in order to deter wolves from attacking livestock and domestic animals. “Wolves aren’t angels or devils; they can respond favorably to management techniques,” he said. Senator Adam Kline, (D-37th District, Seattle) said he was uncomfortable with the language of SB 5187 and says the bill’s enforcement specifics are unclear. A second proposal, Senate Bill (SB) 5188, would permit county legislative authority to lethally remove wolves attacking livestock based on three conditions: the wolf or wolves had attacked livestock on private property on at least two occasions; the attacks present a pattern that pose an imminent threat to private property or commercial livestock operations, and DFW has yet to take action to prevent these

Sports A4 & A7 Letters/Opinion A5 Valley Life A3 & A6

Classifieds/Legals A8-9 Real Estate A9

Police Stats Obituaries

A9-10 A10


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