Our Saturday Market takes a village
To the Editor:
We attended the annual Jaycee/Goldendale Chamber Community Awards Dessert last week and, most unexpectedly, came away with a new award, Outstanding Couple of the Year.
The award was presented primarily for our efforts during the last four years to build a viable Goldendale Saturday Market. Now, we are not public speakers and we are not the impromptu kinda folks who always say just the right words at just the right time.
May we be presumptuous enough to use The Sentinel's Opinion page to say what should have been said?
It takes a dedicated team to continue working towards a vision: the 10 or so dedicated, committed vendors who are always at their booth, rain or shine; the 20 additional vendors who know they are always welcome, on any Saturday they can make it.
There are the produce vendors who spend all winter planning the garden that will produce fresh nutritious vegetables for you; the friends and neighbors who have no earthly reason to get up early every Saturday morning and help put out the signs announcing Goldendale's Saturday Market; the "Singin Chef" and his wife who gave up a couple of summers to croon and sell hot dogs and sausage.
There are the dedicated customers who come on a regular basis, around 300 plus on most Saturdays, sometimes swelling to 800; the non-vendor volunteers who come every Saturday to oversee the Chamber office at Vern Markee Park; the Chamber of Commerce, which allows us the use of the building in exchange for meeting and greeting Goldendale visitors.
Goldendale Saturday Market, a friendly, meet-your-friends kinda shopping place where you can purchase made in the U.S.A., Washington State, Klickitat County, Goldendale area products, is a growing co-op of dedicated, ambitious, fun-loving, self sufficient people we are proud to work with.
It's a community working together toward a common goal, through volunteerism, that will ultimately breed many successes.
Ron & Earlene Sullivan
Goldendale
Volunteers are needed to make things happen
To the Editor:
A recent letter in The Sentinel from Rex Bullis about what our City has to offer was very interesting. I agree with him - our community has many outstanding attributes. However, I would like to respond to the comments about the lack of effort of the mayor, Chamber of Commerce, and other organizations have put forth to make things happen.
The Chamber of Commerce, along with many of the other volunteer organizations, is attempting to establish a bank of volunteers to make things happen within our community.
For instance, mark your calendars for this Saturday, Mar. 7, at the new Grange Hall. There is going to be an opportunity to visit with many of the different organizations, hobbyists, clubs, and churches that truly care about our community. The amount of countless hours and energy donated by volunteers, in addition to the costs it takes to promote our community is far greater than most can imagine.
I invite the community of Goldendale to attend these volunteer meetings to see and join the effort being put forth. The mayor, Economic Development Committee and Chamber encourage and welcome your attendance and input. Please believe me when I say. "we care very much."
Len Crawford
Goldendale
Landowners have rights in Blue Bridge gas project
To the Editor:
If you are one of the Klickitat County landowners affected by the Blue Bridge Pipeline project, which would transport natural gas from Stanfield, Ore. to parts of the Northwest, there are a few things you may want to know.
Representatives of the Williams NW Pipeline Company are eager to begin the land acquisition process. That is, purchasing their easement through your property. What Williams probably will not tell you however, is the route has not yet been approved.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has not given the green light to move forward with this project. In fact, Williams has not even pre-filed with FERC yet. They plan to pre-file sometime in early March.
Do not be intimidated by Williams. You have rights as a landowner, at least for now. You are not required or obligated to cooperate with Williams until FERC approves the final route. Waiting until FERC approves the route will not forfeit any of your rights, concerns, or negotiating power.
Any land acquisitions or completed surveys Williams completes may only strengthen their ability to obtain approval of their proposed route from FERC.
If you have given permission to Williams to conduct their surveys on your property and have since then changed your mind, it is not too late to revoke your permission.
Brenda Lexa
White Salmon
Gun bill is an affront to our Constitution
To the Editor:
Here we go again and I think all gun owners are aware that under the current administration, it was coming.
On Jan. 6, Representative Bobby Rush of Chicago submitted Bill HR-45, the Blair Holts Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009. This Bill will make it illegal to possess all pistols or any rifle that has a clip unless the owner is federally registered and licensed, finger-printed, and agrees to questioning at any time the government so chooses. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the weapon and up to a year of confinement.
To my way of thinking, this is a preliminary step to complete confiscation and an affront to the second amendment of our constitutional right to bear arms. If a license is required to exercise a right, it ceases to be a right.
Guns will always be readily available. Take them from law-abiding folks and I wonder who will have them.
Write your representatives!
Dan Jagelski
Goldendale
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