Washington’s Lieutenant Governor, Denny Heck, visited Klickitat County Monday at the invitation of Goldendale City Council member Miland Walling. He and his wife, Paula Fruci, got a briefing on the proposed Goldendale pumped storage project from a viewpoint on Highway 14 overlooking the site of the former Goldendale aluminum plant. Afterwards, we asked him his reaction.
“What’s not to like? A project that creates all these jobs, both in the short term, but also on the ongoing basis, and something that creates renewable, carbon-free energy. Now, look, there are clearly going to be people that bring forth concerns and we’re going to have to work ’em through in the regulatory process. But, talk about the ultimate curb appeal, this kind of project has it.”
Heck got his start in politics serving in the Washington State legislature in a district that represented Klickitat County. After that he served as Governor Booth Gardner’s chief of staff, before being elected to Congress from Washington’s new 10th congressional district. In November, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Washington, and took office in January. Washington’s Lieutenant Governor also serves as President of the Washington State Senate, and can vote to break a tie, just as the Vice President of the United States does in the U.S. Senate.
In another appropriate venue, Heck and his wife toured the Goldendale Observatory, their first visit since the massive remodeling last year. It was Heck’s bill in the legislature that led to the Washington State Park system to purchase the observatory from the City of Goldendale at a time when the city could not afford to maintain the facility. Heck expressed pleasure at the way things turned out.
Washington’s Lieutenant Governor, Denny Heck, visited Klickitat County
