The Goldendale Sentinel is the official newspaper of Goldendale, Washington and surrounding communities in Klickitat County.

Man enlists Washington State Patrol for help pulling off marriage proposal

Traffic ticket warning has the words, “Will you marry me?” scrawled on it

     What seemed to be a routine traffic stop turned out to be the surprise of a lifetime this week for Goldendale resident, Rachelle Kauffman.
     The Goldendale High School (GHS) graduate was headed to lunch with her boyfriend, Casey Martin, on Sunday when a Washington State Patrol trooper pulled behind her with his lights flashing.
     The Goldendale woman had only been pulled over once in her life and said she got nervous.
     Her boyfriend told her to pull into the high school parking lot where there was more space.
     As she did so, the officer asked her to step out of the car.
     “I’m shaking and Casey starts getting out his license,” Rachelle recalled.
     The officer told her a taillight was out and wanted her to go back and look at it.
He went to his patrol car and emerged with a written warning. As he handed her the paper, Rachelle saw familiar handwriting.
     It was in her boyfriend’s and the words read, “Will you marry me?”
     “I looked at Casey and there he was on his knee,” said Rachelle.
     “I just said, “yes, yes!”
     The bridegroom-to-be said he spent weeks brainstorming various ideas for how to propose, including carving “Will you marry me?” into a tree.
     “Then I thought, ‘you know what? I’m going to do it in a fun, silly way,’” Casey said.
     The Goldendale man enlisted the help of one of his friends, whose father -- Sgt. Dale Retzlaff -- is a state trooper.
     He said Rachelle is always “teasing him,” and he decided to get her back. Casey spent the big morning sending text messages back and forth with Sgt. Retzlaff .
     As he headed to lunch with Rachelle, the rain was so thick, he said, they almost didn’t see the police lights.
     Casey was nervous and the fact he’d been in several school plays helped him stay cool for the part.
     When the lights went on, he reached for his insurance papers. His real nerves made it more authentic, he said..
     The rain also added to the excitement.
     “It kind of made it more romantic,” said Casey. “The rain just kind of amplifies everything.”
     Rachelle said she had no idea it was coming and was utterly “shocked.”
     The couple has been dating since high school and said they always knew they’d get married someday.
     “We, almost since the very beginning, knew we were meant for each other,” she said.
     The couple is planning for a wedding next year, although a date has not been set.

Local couple heads to prestigious dog show

     A Goldendale couple is headed to California this weekend to compete for a national title at a prestigious dog show.
     Goldendale resident Shyla Newton, is part of the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in Long Beach, which draws competitors from around the globe.
     “We will compete against not only the top show dogs in the country, but also a slate of the finest specimens from around the world,” Newton said, in an email.
     She is there with her husband Rick and dog Coco, a Bichon Frise who is among the contenders.
     The Newtons are in the process of building a home just outside of town.
     “My husband and I are new to the area and are currently getting established in the community,” Newton said.
     The invitation-only event this weekend will see contestants from all parts of the dog training and breeding community.
     The championship is the largest prize money dog show in the world, with cash and prizes awarded totaling more than $225,000.
     The show will air on Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel on Jan. 31.

Countdown to Candy Cane Lane Parade is on