Klickitat County Fair sweeps into town, showcasing heritage
The Klickitat County Fair kicks off with judging of livestock exhibits at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21, but for many it is the evening barbeque that really gets the fair going.
The grilling starts at around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, with preparatory cooking takes place at the Goldendale Primary School. The potatoes are washed, wrapped and baked, and the cobbler, made with peaches from local orchards, are baked there.
Once the food is prepared, there may be anywhere from 10 to 15 servers, including our own county commissioners, helping folks move as quickly as possible through the line. The barbeque is served from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and is expected to draw nearly 1,000 people.
The fairgrounds are bustling with activity that reflects the traditions of Klickitat County. Thursday morning exhibits extend end to end across the fairgrounds, showing off hand crafts, agriculture and the ranching heritage of the county. The still life exhibits are open to the public at 8 a.m. Horse classes are judged in the arena in front of the grand stands (trail classes in the warm-up arena) at 8 a.m., while goats and swine are shown in the indoor arena, starting at 8 a.m. for goats and 8:30 a.m. for swine. Sheep judging starts at 8:30 a.m. north of the livestock barn, and miniature horses are judged in the west arena, beginning at 9 a.m. Market and breeding beef classes show on the grass north of the barn at 10 a.m.
The carnival runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. the weekend hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Western games start with barrel racing, Thursday at 4 p.m. Team penning and branding celebrate the heritage of Klickitat County with competition in front of the grandstand starting at 3 p.m. on Friday. Friday is also the day for showmanship competition, starting with individual species at 9 a.m. and the all-around showmanship contest at 1 p.m. Standard and miniature horse classes and dairy cattle judging are also on Friday.
Small animal enthusiasts can watch poultry and rabbit judging, starting at 9 a.m. on Friday morning. The dogs show on Saturday morning on the east end of the grounds with showmanship and obedience in the morning and agility and costume classes at 1 p.m.
Saturday’s events include team roping, starting at 8:30 a.m. and the parade through Goldendale kicks off at 10 a.m. The rodeo runs Saturday and Sunday. An 11:45 a.m. parade of champions heralds the beginning of Saturday’s rodeo. The livestock market stock sale is at 3:30 p.m. Ranch cutting at 7 p.m. and team penning, branding, and sorting events are Saturday evening.
A livestock parade at 12:15 p.m. precedes Sunday’s rodeo. Livestock and static exhibits close at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The fair office is open each day, beginning at 7 a.m. They can be reached at 773-3559.
In Your Backyard... A Wildlife Treat
Nancy Wallwork
Washington Conservation Corps
Imagine our surprise when we walked into the shop one afternoon only to see a blur of a long thin object scurry across the floor and hide under the work benches. Our first thought was “snake!” We are all wary of snakes and realized we cautiously needed to get it back outside where it belonged.
After a short and exciting search, we found the creature. It was a Southern Alligator Lizard. Most of us are familiar with the Sagebrush Lizard or “blue bellies” that reach about 6 inches in length, but the visitor in our shop was eleven to twelve inches long!
The Southern Alligator Lizard is one of Washington’s longest lizards found in the counties of Klickitat, Yakima, and a small portion of Kittitas. It prefers oak woodlands, rock, and brushy vegetation. The lizard we caught was a light brown with wavy dark lines across the trunk and tail. It had a lateral fold on each side of its body located between the front and back legs. The slender tail that was as long as its body was most impressive.
The Alligator Lizard is so named because it appears to look like a small alligator. They are able to swim well, bite vigorously (a very painful experience for any handler), and even twist like an alligator when they snag their prey of invertebrates including black widow spiders and small mammals! Usually they are hard to spot and are very secretive. When they are moving fast, Southern Alligator Lizards press their legs against their body and undulate in snake-like movements. They are comfortable climbing into bushes or small trees and can use their tail to grasp the branches.
Should the lizard be caught, it can drop its tail, leaving it to thrash about and hopefully catching the attention of the predator. If the plan works, the lizard quickly runs off. When the tail grows back, it is usually shorter and of a different color. Our lizard’s tail was the same color as the body, so he had apparently never experienced being captured until that moment.
Mating takes place during April and May. Afterwards, a dozen or so eggs are then placed in rodent burrows to wait out the summer and hatch in September or early October. The young Alligator Lizards measure just over an inch when they hatch. By the end of November, the lizards are deep in hibernation until March.
So, look twice the next time you think you see a snake dart into the brush. It may just turn out to be one of the largest lizards in Washington, the Southern Alligator Lizard.
Sheriff asks public, “Are you satisfied?”
The Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office sent out a call this week for public participation in a satisfaction survey. According to officials, both residents and non-residents are “welcome to share their opinions about their Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office.” This survey will be used to help decide where to best devote time and resources related to law enforcement in Klickitat County.
“This survey is an important tool which will allow us to more effectively listen to the citizens and respond to their needs. Survey participation takes only a couple minutes and is completely anonymous,” the office said in a statement.
The survey will be posted on the KCSO website until Oct. 24. It can be found at www.klickitatcounty.org/sheriff. Hard copies can also be picked up at the Goldendale Sheriff’s Office (located at the courthouse or at the White Salmon Sheriff’s Office (located at the Pioneer Center).
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