Video courtesy of Nancy Kusky of Goldendale TV. Please subscribe to her YouTube Channel.
The Goldendale City Council covered several issues during the meeting last night. They approved a temporary license for Washington State University to establish a weather station and soil and hydrology measuring station at the city’s wastewater treatment site, and a request from M&M construction to transfer its contract with the city for work at the airport to another company. M&M said it was unable fo fill the contract, and by doing a transfer, the city will save the time and expense involved with rebidding the contract and reordering the scare materials. Councilors also approved a proposal for a feasibility study on creating a tax-increment financing district in the city, and a request by Hot Rods Bar and Restaurant to set up a beer garden on part of the sidewalk during Community Days this weekend.
Some of the interesting items came from the reports of officers and councilors. Juliana Ontoveros represented the city fire department, which patrolled the city during the 6 pm to midnight window allowed for fireworks by city ordinance. She reported city firefighters responded to three small fires. The last one, she said, had initially been reported as a fire in a storage unit:
“When we arrived on scene, it was actually in their garage and the residents were out lighting fireworks and weren’t aware of the fire. From out dispatch time to on scene was under a minute and we were able to extinguish it. It did not involve the structure at all. But if it had not been for the citizen who saw it and called it in, it could have been a pretty [cataclysmic?] fire because it was right up against the walls, but luckily we got it out.”
Police chief Jay Hunziker said they had 11 reports of people who set off fireworks outside the restricted hours, and in the cases where they could determine who did so, they received a warning, and the chief said there were no repeat offenders.
The biggest surprise of past week, he said, was a young bear who wandered into town:
“Everything went very well. We were able to get the bear to travel north out of town. There was no harm done to the bear. No animals or domestic animals or people were harmed in this so it worked out great. One thing I want to encourage in open council and the people who are listening we strongly encourage people who encounter a wild animal, don’t go near it. It’s not worth the picture. It’s not worth the video. Take cover, get into safety, watch from your window. It’s the best thing you can do.”
And Mayor Mike Canon issued a proclamation for the sesquicentennial of the founding of Goldendale this Saturday during Community Days, inviting everyone to visit and help celebrate.
Optional: Gorge Country Media will be there, providing the music and public address announcements for the car show downtown. Stop by and see if you can play stump the jock with a car song we haven’t got in our collection.