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Summary of Sunnyside' substantive news events for Jan. 2000

Yakima Valley News will glean news items from other sources and summarize them for our readers. Click q to email YVN's vast newspaper empire. Click q for archived Potpourris.

Washout Canyon reservoir a possibility SUNNYSIDE (Thursday 1-31-00)--Rep. Bruce Chandler (R-Granger) has tossed a bill into the legislative hopper that could create a 540-acre water reservoir in Washout Canyon. It might finally fix a long standing water shortage problem in the Lower Valley. Water shortages have occurred about every six years the past 55 years, according to reports. If HB 2818 gets through the House, Senate and Gov's office, the Dept. of Ecology would determine whether the canyon is suitable for a half-mile long, 250-foot high retainment dam and water storage. The reservoir could also create a recreation area and warm-water fishery north of Sunnyside. To stay on top of the bill's moves, click and navigate to HB 2818. Labor & Industries pushes new ergonomics rule SUNNYSIDE (Thursday 1-30-00)--State bureaucrats are pummeling the business community again, this time with vague new "ergonomic rules" that would affect many workers and employers in Washington. Yakima's Tony Durado, All Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning Inc., told reporters "If this is enforced to the letter of the law as currently written, I don't know how any construction--of any kind--could ever take place that is not in violation." The state wants public comments until Feb. 14. Comments should be sent to Jenny Hays, Dept. of Labor & Industries, WISHA Services Division/Standards Section, POB 44620, Olympia, WA 98504-4620. Or email her at ergorule@Ini.wa.gov, or FAX (360) 902-5529. To see a copy of the proposed reg, go to the L&I website at www.Ini.wa.gov/wisha/. Make 'em WISHA they'd never brought it up.   Mabton PD's Raul Almeida on clemency board SUNNYSIDE (Thursday 1-27-00)--Gov. Gary Locke has appointed Mabton Police Chief Raul Almeida to the state's Clemency and Pardons Board. The five-member board meets quarterly to review petitions from persons, groups and the prison system asking for sentence reductions and pardons for prisoners. Almeida's term will last four years.   High school grads now must learn to read--geez SUNNYSIDE (Thursday 1-20-00)--The Washington State Board of Education says this year's fourth graders--senior class of 2008--will be the first kids required to earn a "certificate of mastery" before they can graduate from high school. The state's 1993 Education Reform Act requires it. Indications are that job-providing businesses are happy when graduates can spell their names, and add 2 + 2. Let's hear it for the great job the Washington Education Association is doing for our kids. Brrrt.   Farm Bureau says control-freak feds at it again SUNNYSIDE (Thursday 1-20-00)--This time it's the National Marine Fisheries Service. The Farm Bureau warns these feds want to tell persons how much energy they can use to heat their homes, wants to ration their automobile travel, and wants to OK whether citizens can grow a garden in their backyard. "This is incredible," said Farm Bureau chief Mike Poulson. It's all in the name of "saving the salmon" of course. Meanwhile, government "protected" river and ocean fishermen (Indians) still net the "endangered" species by the boatload. When feds called a "public input" meeting in Yakima Jan. 26 to discuss the fed-proposed regs, they were treated to a traditional American shitstorm. One Ephrata farmer said "We don't have a salmon problem. We don't have a water problem. We have a government problem."   Driving Grandview school bus 2nd job for deputy SUNNYSIDE (Thursday 1-14-00)--Derek Artz, 41, Yakima County sheriff's deputy, drives a Grandview School District bus so he can be with his kids a bit more. He totes badge and gun at night and drives bus during the day. Artz, whose family has lived in Mabton many years, told reporters,"It's a short route around town, which works out with my schedule."   I-695 gets Court Commissioner Don Engel SUNNYSIDE (Thursday 1-14-00)--District Court Commissioner Don Engel has been terminated from his position effective March 31. Thanks to I-695, the court system was directed to trim $200,000 from its budget. Other staff cuts will take place through resignations and retirements. Planning Commmission exodus underway SUNNYSIDE (Monday 1-13-00)--Sunnyside's Planning Commission is undergoing a metamorphosis based on the fact Commission members serve at the council's pleasure. Councils naturally appoint members who are reading from the elected council's agenda. After the council's removal of commissioner Al Tebaldi, Nick Hernandez resigned days before his own expected non-reappointment. Stan Snow and Larry Bennett also weren't reappointed. And then there were three. Remaining are Terry Williard, Gerald Parrish and Mary Lee Robinson. While this temporarily leaves the Commission without a quorum, indications are this will be remedied quickly. Five new applicants are interested. Sunnyside looking better now SUNNYSIDE (Saturday 1-10-00)--Sunnyside is looking better now than it did last April, when the new city council called for cleanup. Gone are the backyard outhouses, junk cars, homemade open sewer lines, cows and goats that made town look like Dogpatch. Much of the credit goes to Bill Eikenbary, former Sunnyside cop who now enforces the city's omnibus ordinance to limit trash, graffiti, weeds, garbage and junk vehicles. "What makes our program different and better than most is the fact our facilitator's main goal is alleviating the mess--not writing tickets," Councilman Chad Werkhoven told reporters.   Sunnyside's world-renowned triplets doing well SUNNYSIDE (Saturday 1-10-00)---When Arcelia Garcia, 54, gave birth by Cesarean section to non-identical triplets Arianna, Barianna and Cecelia within three minutes of each other at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, the whole world soon would know about it. No fertility drugs were involved. Community support already has started coming in. Johnson & Johnson has offered a steady supply of disposable diapers. When her health and the babies allow, Garcia plans to return to work on the family farm. Congratulations!   Washington Legislature back in town OLYMPIA (Saturday 1-10-00)---The legislature is back in business for 60 days, with a 30-day overtime session permitted. The regular session ends March 9. It costs taxpayers $130,000 per session day, including $79 a day for each legislator's expenses. The hottest issue is dealing with effects of I-695 on state and local budgets, transportation funding, health insurance, education, government reorganization, property tax relief, worker retraining and lower unemployment insurance taxes, a "Patients' Bill or Rights", civil service reform and privatizing some state services. In the House, it's a 49-49 tie between Republicans and Democrats. The Senate hosts 27 Ds and 22 Rs. Gov. Gary Locke, who has to pass on legislation, is a Democrat. Good grief.   Judge dictates rezone reversal to Sunnyside council SUNNYSIDE (Saturday 1-7-00)---Sunnyside city council last year refused to rezone Clint Hergert's 20 acres in southeast Sunnyside from low density R1 to high density R3. In doing so, councilmen overturned a Planning Commission decision that favored Hergert's proposal. So Hergert sued in county Superior Court. Judge Michael Leavitt this week ruled in Hergert's favor. The judge contends the rezone fits the city's growth management plan. And besides, the city's Planning Commission agreed with Hergert as well. Leavitt's decree would force the city to rezone the 20 acres to R3. The city may appeal to a higher court. The council has stated there is a distinct lack of R1 developments in Sunnyside, leaving many professionals to live out of town. Nearby property owners testified at council meetings the rezone to R3 would decrease their property values. Judge Leavitt is up for reelection in November.   SIED dollars granted to DRR Fruit Co. SUNNYSIDE (Saturday 1-7-00)---DRR Fruit Co. will get $118,000 in state dollars to complement it's $2.75 million expansion. DRR will use the bucks to extend water and sewer lines to the project. DRR is expected to create 45 new jobs and a local payroll of more than $1 million over the next three years. The grant was approved by the nine-member SIED board, including Sunnyside Port Mgr. Amber Hansen (didn't vote because she works for the Sunnyside Port), Toppenish Mayor Judy Boekholder and Grandview City Administrator Jim Sewell. Dollars derive from Supporting Investments in Economic Development, a program approved by the 1997 legislature to help a flailing Eastern Washington.   Night Options starts Jan. 15 SUNNYSIDE (Saturday 1-7-00)---Night Options, a program of the Sunnyside Youth Coalition, will start here Jan. 15. It offers Sunnyside students an adult-supervised place to go from 7 p.m. to midnight at Chief Kamiakin Elementary School. They play basketball, dance, listen to music, or just 'hang out'. Coalition spokesman Greg Uberauaga indicates Night Options is popular with kids, who can come in for $1 or a can of food for local food banks. "Night Options depends on community adults to volunteer time to chaperone." Those interested can call Uberauga at (509) 837-6043.   Cherry worker housing confab pits lawyers v. farmers SUNNYSIDE (Saturday 1-7-00)--Attorney Lupe Gamboa, United Farmworker Union Chief, says farmworkers want low-density, heated, off-orchard housing, and wants taxpayers to foot the bill. Tax-paid attorney Rebecca Smith warns farmers that OSHA regs demand plentiful water, preferably hot and cold running. The Columbia Legal Services lawyer also demands refrigerators, and definitions of what constitutes "worker supplied housing". Mike Gempler, of the Yakima based Growers League, is concerned about who is going to pay the tab. Growers might shut down existing housing if they can't afford the goodies. The outcome of such talks will determine the latest WA state housing regs. The debate has continued over 40 years, because farmworkers still want to work, and growers still want to grow food. For nearly a half century the endless government funded uproar has kept tax-paid lawyers and "community advocates" fat and sassy, while providing grist for teary-eyed journalists. Brrrrt.   State art council hosts girls' "wearables" OLYMPIA (Saturday 1-7-00)--"State art lovers are invited to view a Fiber and Wearable Art exhibit from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 17 in the State Reception Room of the State Capitol's Legislative Building," goes the lead graph. Featured artists are Lucy McCarthy, Pam Wells, Florence Baker-Wood, Ann King, Carmen Murray, Sharon Rosenberger and Tatiana Stacy-Montague. For more info call Linda Mitchell, executive asst. to Lt. Governor and shameless Democrat Brad Owen at (360) 786-7700. For yet further information check into the $100-million WA reportedly has budgeted for the arts, which should be fixed in the baleful glare of Initiative 695. Pit Democrats against each other--tell 'em the arts money should go for farmworker housing. Tell 'em the chicks would look better wearing nothing but .44 caliber handguns on a skimpy belt, while smoking cigarettes and passing out Libertarian literature. Let freedom ring, boys and girls.   Warehousing kids in government schools proves costly SUNNYSIDE (Saturday 1-6-00)--It's illegal to escape from two places--jails and K-12 schools. Knowing this, the state has budgeted $4.7 million to chase down truants and take their parents to court. The money reportedly will be distributed to districts in 20 counties which shell out local cash to implement the state's 1995 "Becca Bill". Principals must attend court hearings. Sunnyside SD has asked for $15,500 to cover those costs and hiring a high school secretary to handle Becca Bill paperwork.   County commissioners want info from paid staff SUNNYSIDE (Saturday 1-6-00)--County commissioners want better information on county issues and have appointed paid staff directors to advise them on the haps. See what these folks do by clicking q and navigating through fascinating, labyrinthine county government files. Appointed were: L. Daniel Fessler, director of assigned counsel Lisa Fruend, community relations manager Sylvia Hinojosa, commissioner clerk Helen Hatzenbeler, deputy commissioner clerk Steven Hill director of community services/grants management Ken Ray, corrections director Don Stangle, emergency medical services Michael Vachon geographic info services Dema Harris, administrative services Richard Anderwald planning/special projects Dan Hesse, public works, parks, George Helton technology services Folks can call these persons toll free at 1-800-572-7354 to ask 'em questions.   Lower Valley's Jesse Palacios chairs commissioner board SUNNYSIDE (Saturday 1-5-00)--Grandview's Jesse Palacios has been named chairman of the Yakima County Commission until Dec. 31, according to reports. He says he wants to provide better services to county residents while bearing in mind I-695. Every government in the state must get a "yes" vote from the people before they can raise taxes or fees. Palacios said he'd like to see better communication between the county and its citizens. "We need to figure out how to better inform the public on what we're doing," Palacios said. "Local government is doing positive things. We need to get that positive message out to to the public." Meanwhile, the public prefers the unvarnished truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, whether it's positive OR negative, from the mouths of folks who have taken an oath to uphold the U.S. and WA Constitutions.   Yakima County Jail admissions up two percent in '99 SUNNYSIDE (Saturday 1-6-00)--Guests at the Yakima County Jail were up from 10,368 in '98 to 10,580 in '99 according to county stats. The jail hosts about 690 persons on a given day, with another 262 supervised outside and awaiting trial.   Minimum wage now $6.50 an hour in Washington SUNNYSIDE (Saturday 1-6-00)--Soviet Washington's minimum wage is now $6.50 an hour, and will rise based on the inflation rate from here on out, as voters approved in the 1998 general election. The Washington State Labor Council took the lead in forming a large coalition of groups and individuals that circulated petitions to get the minimum wage issue on the ballot. The Council also pushed for its passage. "The minimum wage increase...is great for thousands of workers in this state," said Bob Swanson, executive director of the Washington State Association of Community Action Agencies. The number of jobs available is expected to shrink in response to the 1998 law, putting many out of work altogether, and hurting low-income folks most of all. Left-wing collectivists have always flunked economics, or ignored the discipline in favor of demagoguery.