ABATE debate much ado about nothing
Andrew Christiansen
Reporter
What was anticipated to be a wild and noisy weekend with the ABATE spring opener in town, proved to be a busy but quiet kickoff to summer. Months of debate over the expected impact from a crowd of bikers, rivaling Goldendale's population, proved much ado about nothing. The town welcomed something more than 1,000 people who came to town for a three-day event that provided a much needed economic shot in the arm.
According to Klickitat County Sheriff Rick McComas, everything went well. McComas had voiced his concerns about hosting the event this year, citing lack of sufficient notice to budget funds for the event. But the county commissioners gave their approval, and McComas did more research on what to expect.
"I called around to the other host counties and the one thing I learned was that lots of communication was key," said McComas. And communicate they did with regular meetings leading up to the event.
ABATE state coordinator, Mick Gillispie, of Puyallup, also credited communication as being important for a successful event.
"This was a test," said Gillispie. "Everything is going great."
Saturday afternoon, while people were still arriving, Gillispie guessed the gathering would exceed the 1,023 people who were in Toppenish last year. It will be up to the ABATE board of directors to decide if the group will ask to return next year.
"Scott Robinson was a big promoter of Goldendale and sold us on coming here this year. What drew us are the great things around here, like Stonehenge, Maryhill Winery, Huntington's, the windmills and the observatory. There is something for everybody. We also like the bathrooms and size of the fairgrounds. The people have been great to work with," said Gillispie.
ABATE is an organization that fights for personal rights, primarily of motorcycle enthusiasts. But, Gillispie likes to say they are fighting for everyone's freedom. Their fight is carried on through legislative efforts.
ABATE depends on its membership to carry on the fight. They do not have a paid staff or lobbyist. They have learned to develop a relationship with legislators, and Gillispie says the legislators are glad to see them coming. Two pieces of legislation that drew ABATE attention this year deal with malfunctioning turn lane lights and helmet laws. They have had some success with the lights, but the jury is still out on the helmet laws. Changes that were requested by the Washington State Patrol (WSP) go into effect July 26. ABATE expects legal battles over that law.
This was the group's 31st spring opener and it was apparent they have had a lot of practice. There are 21 chapters of ABATE, with two more to be added this year. Several of the chapters take responsibility for various duties that make spring opener run smoothly.
There was plenty of security for the event, not only outside where local police and sheriff deputies were joined by WSP, but also internally. According to Gillispie, "We wouldn't have security if it wasn't required."
There were four levels of security, according to Gillispie. The first level was the Christian Crusaders, who run the gate. The Crusaders are a separate organization with many joint members. The second level is ABATE's own security, which wasn't obviously marked as such. The third was Phoenix Security out of Yakima. They are a professional, uniformed security company who has worked with ABATE at previous events. The fourth level was the local sheriff and police. Sheriff's deputies had a presence inside and outside the event.
Most of the activities took place at the fairgrounds. ABATE members were seen making frequent grocery and refreshment runs to town, but there was never an overwhelming presence downtown. And, there were no problems downtown, according to Goldendale Police Chief, Rick Johnson.
There were plenty of events to keep the group occupied, much like any convention. There were bike games on the fairgrounds, and a bike and car show in the parking lot east of the fairgrounds. Jackie Culver, chapter coordinator from the North Kitsap chapter which was in charge of the show said there were 47 entries in seven categories. They were hoping more of the public would have participated. Voting on best antique, cruiser, sport, chopper, bagger, rat, and trike was open to anyone who visited the show.
Following the show was the parade through town, which included about 170 bikes and trikes, much fewer than the hundreds of bikes many residents expected. Poker runs and a Friday Columbia Gorge run to benefit the local PALS youth organization were the off-site events. Everything else was self contained, including food and entertainment.
Aside from quite a few more bikes than normal around town, it was pretty much a normal weekend in Goldendale. Little League played their tournament. The Kiwanis had Golf for Kids, and ABATE had its spring rally. None of the three groups created a public nuisance. All three groups provided economic benefits to the community.
Said Gillispie, "We're just everyday people. The Hollywood image is not what we are about." They seemed to fit in quite well in Goldendale.
DNR urges fire awareness over holiday
Before leaving for Fourth of July weekend activities, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds the public to be aware of any fire restrictions in place around the state due to the rising fire danger. Because the weather is warming up and vegetation is drying out, fires can ignite quickly.
"We hope you and your family enjoy a safe holiday weekend-this is a time to be extra careful with campfires and other outdoor activities," said Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark.
So far, there have been more than 230 wildfires on the public and private lands DNR protects from wildfire-well above the average number of fires at this point in the fire season. Not surprisingly, DNR records show fire danger is highest Saturday and Sunday afternoons when the woods fill up with recreationists and woodcutters. Unattended campfires, faulty vehicle or motorcycle mufflers, careless disposal of cigarettes, and outdoor burning also boost the Fourth of July weekend forest fire potential. DNR fire prevention teams will be out this holiday weekend in some eastern Washington locations to remind people of the fire danger and of any fire restrictions in the area.
To check for fire danger and outdoor burning restrictions by county, see the state burn risk map at: http://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/firedanger . Alternately, go to www.dnr.wa.gov. Click on 'fire information and prevention' and go to 'wildfire related maps.' The link to the burn risk map is in the bottom right-hand corner.
Fire safety tips
Here are some helpful tips to help keep this a fun and enjoyable weekend:
• Before discharging fireworks, check to see if they are allowed in that location. It is illegal to discharge fireworks on state protected and public lands;
• Be sure recreational vehicles have operating spark arresters;
• Do not park any vehicles in dry, grassy areas as the heat from exhaust systems can ignite the dry grass;
• Never leave a campfire unattended, and be sure it is completely out before leaving the area.
For those staying closer to home, this is a good time to reduce the risk of wildfire to your home and property by taking the following actions:
• Do an exterior home inspection;
• Remove moss and needles from the roof and rain gutters;
• Clear vegetation and flammable materials from around propane tanks;
• Stack firewood at least 30 feet from the house;
• Keep decorative bark and railroad ties away from the foundation-these types of materials provide great places for sparks to smolder;
• Trim trees to ten feet off the ground for tall trees and adjust for shorter trees; this helps reduce fuels that aid in fire traveling;
• Maintain defensible space around the home, which is the large, open area firefighters use to defend homes during a wildfire event.
For more information on creating defensible space around homes, contact a local landscape and nursery professional or a DNR region office for a free copy of Fire Resistant Plants for Home Landscapes.
Outdoor burning
Outdoor burning is a leading cause of wildfire in Washington. Check with local fire authorities before lighting any pile. A burn ban is in effect for Rural 7 in Klickitat County.
Before burning, check local conditions and restrictions by calling 1-800-323-BURN (2876) or going to http://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/firedanger.
County assessor recall effort in judge's hands
Jesse Burkhardt
Gorge News Report
Two White Salmon residents who want to see Klickitat County Assessor Van Vandenberg recalled from office have filed an "affidavit of charges" against him.
The formal process calls for the Klickitat County Prosecutor's Office to prepare a synopsis of the charges against Vandenberg and present them to a Superior Court judge. The judge determines whether the allegations against Vandenberg meet the criteria that would allow a recall effort to move forward.
"Once the judge gets the charges, there will be 15 days to hold a hearing on whether or not the charges are `recallable,'" explained Richard Lyons, one of two men leading the effort to see Vandenberg recalled. White Salmon resident William R. Harrison is the other recall organizer.
Lyons is one of a number of residents of the west end of the county who appealed his 2008 property revaluation, contending his property values were much higher than he believed was justified. Although Lyons won his appeal before the Board of Equalization, the Assessor's Office then appealed the Board of Equalization's decision to the state.
In their filing in the case, Lyons and Harrison made seven allegations against Vandenberg, which were summarized by Klickitat County Prosecutor Tim O'Neill as follows: "1) On an undisclosed date(s), the Assessor is alleged to have knowingly and intentionally over-assessed and inflated the values of many parcels of the subject properties; 2) Assessor is alleged to have knowingly and intentionally utilized an incorrect/flawed methodology and data in assessing the subject properties; 3) Assessor allegedly failed and refused to utilize government-mandated standards in his valuation procedures and assessment of subject properties; 4) Individuals allegedly contacted the Assessor to complain/contest assessments, and in response, the Assessor allegedly made false and fraudulent representations to induce these persons not to file appeals with the Board of Equalization; 5) The Assessor and his representatives allegedly attempted to intimidate and coerce unidentified tax appellants to abandon their appeals; 6) The Assessor and/or his representatives are alleged to have knowingly presented information that misrepresented or contradicted trended values or actual assessed values posted on the Klickitat County Assessor's Web site of comparable home sales; and 7) Assessor and/or his representatives are alleged to have falsely and knowingly testified under oath during Board of Equalization appeal proceedings."
"The judge decides if the charges are allowable under the state constitution as grounds for recall," Lyons said.
When and if a judge makes a determination that supports the underlying reasons for a recall, a signature-gathering period begins.
"If the judge gives the go ahead, we have 180 days to gather the needed signatures," Lyons said. "Then, it's up to the voters."
Lyons pointed out that Superior Court Judge E. Thompson Reynolds recused himself when White Salmon Mayor Roger Holen was faced with a recall petition, and it remains to be seen whether Reynolds will do the same in this case. If another judge is required to review the case, the process could be delayed.
To place the recall measure on the ballot, recall supporters would need to gather 60 percent of the number of voters who voted in the most recent election for the Assessor's Office. That election was in 2006. Vandenberg ran unopposed in his bid for a four-year term in that year, and 5,304 votes were cast in the race (Vandenberg had 5,198 votes, with 106 write-ins.)
As 60 percent of that total is required to place the recall measure on the ballot, that indicates that approximately 3,200 valid signatures of Klickitat County voters would be needed.
Vandenberg, whose current term as Klickitat County Assessor ends on Jan. 1, 2011, did not return a telephone call seeking comment on the recall effort.
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