Vandalism costs cemetery lost history
Lou Marzeles
News Editor
The markers in the old section of the Mountain View Cemetery date back 130 to 150 years. These are the ones that are still legible, though there are several more that are at least as old with dates that can no longer be distinguished.
Vandals have struck several times in this (as well as the newer sections) of the cemetery. Most of the old stone markers are made of a type of marble. These stones, over time, absorb water and become very brittle. When vandals strike, many of these stones are broken and destroyed, and they become no longer readable.
These stones are not just markers on graves; they show the final resting place of many of the founding families of this area. The town founder, John Golden, the Goodnoe family, the Story family, and many others have graves there. Many of the familiar names in the county are from these families.
Recently, some money has been made available to try to clean up the old section of the graveyard. Current funding, however, will just pay for the gas to cut the grass for next year, according to the International Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), which maintains the cemetery. Repairing the stones, even where possible, is not immediately feasible, with funding being presently insufficient.
The older section is used often genealogy seekers and those curious enough about area history to just wander through the headstones, so many of which tell a story. Once these stones are broken or beceome illegible, their history is gone-records correlating to them and supplementing their information were stored in the old court house and have been inadvertently destroyed, according to the IOOF.
The upper section of the cemetery is covered by the perpetual care fund. This is money paid when someone purchases a plot; the older section never had a perpetual care fund program in place, so current money cannot be used for the older section of the cemetery. The IOOF has stated that it intends to maintain and repair this section of the cemetery, though it also acknowledges insufficient funding.
The IOOF and Rebekahs have started a new funding program aimed at installing new well water capacities (the existing well ran dry) and to get the old cemetery back in shape. The organizations are looking to the community to help, particularly in regard to restoring the older cemetery section. With such an effort, the organization hopes that additional vandalism will cease.
Those interested in contributing to this fund can contact Ernie or Mavis Hause at 773-4607.
Bizarre case veers from child rape to hiring a hit man
The Goldendale Police Department has recently completed a criminal investigation and submitted charges on Donald Babcock, 54, a Goldendale resident, for the crime of conspiracy to commit murder.
Babcock was sentenced to just over 10 years in prison in 2004, for raping a child in Goldendale. After serving just a few years of his sentence, Babcock won an appeal to have a retrial on the rape of a child first degree charge. Babcock was returned to the Klickitat County jail and was to be held there until his new trial date.
While Babcock was in the jail, he made threats against numerous public officials and witnesses. He stated that he wanted them all dead and that he was making plans to carry out his threats. The public officials he threatened were: a Goldendale police department administrator, a superior court judge, a federal prosecutor, and a Klickitat County prosecutor. Babcock also threatened to kill a parent/witness to the rape case.
An investigation was subsequently initiated by the Goldendale police, assisted by the Klickitat County sheriff's office. Police developed a plan in which an undercover federal Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agent would come and be introduced to Babcock in the Klickitat County jail. The ATF agent was undercover posing as a hit man for hire. Babcock immediately took action to hire the undercover agent to kill the witness and the Goldendale police administrator.
After several months of communication between the undercover agent and Babcock, a plan was in place for the undercover agent to get paid to carry out the murders.
At Monday's city council meeting, Lt. Reggie Bartkowski of the Goldendale police shared that in order to convince Babcock his murders would be carried out, a first one was staged and photographs of the faked murder were taken to Babcock to prove it had been carried out. Babcock was satisfied.
Babcock has now been charged with conspiracy to commit murder first degree. He has a bail amount of $1 million. The attorney general's office has taken the case and will be prosecuting it.
At a recent court appearance, Babcock's attorney asked to have a change of venue out of Klickitat County and have the trial moved to Clark County. This was approved by the judge.
City passes speed, water ordinances
Lou Marzeles
News Editor
The Goldendale City Council Monday highlighted a major crime case, cited a particularly decrepit property in the city, passed a water-rate increase ordinance, ranked projects asking the city for funding, and changed the speed limit on Broadway.
Early in the council meeting, representatives of various community organizations presented brief summaries of requests for funding from the Klickitat County Economic Development Authority (EDA).
Lori Anderson from the county Parks and Recreation District presented a request seeking $8,634.64 for a security system and a replacement water heater for the city pool. Anderson described the conditions that warranted both, including severe vandalism and repeated failures of the pool heater. Anderson was asked which of her two requests she would choose if she were only able to get one, and she responded the security system was a much higher priority.
Jack Runyan next discussed conditions at the IOOF Mountain View Cemetery, requesting $4,500 to repair damage caused by vandals. "There are about 52 markers that are either broken or need to be reset," he said. "The cost of each is about $145." The fund requested was one that could be used to draw from for repairs and expenses and to supplement work from volunteers.
The Goldendale Wrestling Club was scheduled to offer a presentation, but no one from the organization appeared.
Julie Vance, representing the Brighter Goldendale Christmas Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, offered a wish list of items to be used to provide a cheerier holiday atmosphere for the city. These included 40 decorative candy canes, electrical wiring on light poles, lights, and speakers to replace the aging audio facilities in place, for a total potential price tag of $18,000. "This helps businesses," Vance said. "It creates a better festive atmosphere. And we're looking into asking businesses to stay open to 7 p.m. during the season."
Marty Hudson came to ask for funds to acquire new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) devices, used to ensure proper breathing capacity for firefighters on the Goldendale Fire Department. The devices, Hudson said, cost $3,800 each, and he stated that there was a pressing immediate need for at least 10.
City Administrator Larry Bellamy next presented a case for upgrading of the current animal control shelter. Presently the shelter is on one fenced acre with a 24-foot by 30-foot building that houses animals. Inside the building is a sink, a hot water heater, and 10 kennels; there is no restroom or office. The city is asking for $22,500, representing a portion of the total $45,000 needed to fully upgrade the facility, to apply toward renovations.
Lastly, MaLisa Mudgett, CEO of Klickitat Valley Health (KVH), submitted a request to the EDA for funds to replace one of its ambulances which is beyond its useful life. The cost of a new, fully equipped ambulance, Mudgett said, is $150,000. "KVH provides emergency medical services for over 1,000 square miles of Klickitat County," the KVH letter proposal letter stated, and Mudgett emphasized the need for the hospital to maintain up-to-date equipment.
After project presentations, the council voted a ranking of them by highest to lowest priority. The ranking was: 1) the IOOF cemetery, 2) the fire department, 3) Parks and Recreation, 4) the animal shelter, 5) the Brighter Christmas Committee, and a last-place tie for KVH and the wrestling club.
Lieutenant Reggie Bartkowski of the Goldendale Police Department told the council of a developing story regarding convicted child raper Donald Babcock. Presently incarcerated, Babcock was caught hiring a murder-for-hire hit man, posed by a federal law enforcement agent, to kill people involved with his case.
A property in the city limits was cited by councilman Clinton Base as particularly decrepit, though a drive by the cited address Tuesday morning did not reveal the detail Baze described. Baze acknowledged that "I believe this is the address" but could not say with certainty.
In later action, the city passed an ordinance establishing new water rates and voted to change the speed limit on all of Broadway to 30 miles per hour. |
