Bulletin Column June 23

North Fork rolls on

The North Fork of the Palouse River rolls along between banks covered with green in this late spring scene. The photo was taken looking upstream from the bridge on the Altergott Road west of Palouse.

These reports are from the previous four issues of the Daily Bulletin in Colfax. They are reprinted here for the benefit of Gazette readers who reside outside of Colfax. Some accounts have been updated.

CITY ANIMALS TOPIC RETURNS

Another chapter in the city council's "chickens in town" debate surfaced Monday night as part of a proposal for a work plan for the city's planning commission. Council members, who previously decided to table the work plan topic, voted to take the agenda item off the table and go ahead and assign the work plan which includes a study of possibly raising domestic animals in town.

The actual work plan was passed on a 3-2 vote.

Discussion Monday night included the possibility of allowing 4-H and other youths to raise animals in town in preparation for the fair.

Councilwoman Jeannette Solimine noted some fair entry animals have been raised in the city in the past, and the city has never actually addressed the topic.

Councilman Jim Kackman said the city has addressed the topic by banning raising domestic animals in town. He added raising an animal for entry in the fair still does not absolve the city from having to face complaints from residents who have to cope with animals being raised next door.

Kackman added that over the years, in-town 4-Hers and others have been able to make arrangements with rural residents to provide a site for the animals they are raising.

Councilwoman Sarah McKnight suggested a change in the city's ban could include a special permit for fair entrants.

Solimine, McKnight and Whitney Aguilar voted in favor of assigning the topic and two other tasks to the planning commission.

Kackman and Councilman Al Vorderbrueggen voted no.

Councilmen Tom Huntwork and Steve Bretveld, who have opposed in-town chickens in prior votes, were not present at the council session.

Any proposal which emerges from the planning commission will return to the city council for approval. The commission's assignment list had been tabled earlier because it included study of an animals proposal which had been rejected by the council earlier.

TWO HURT NEAR REST AREA

A collision Saturday morning on Highway 195 near the Rosalia rest stop sent the drivers of both vehicles to the hospital. Benjamin Borsare-Irving, Yakima, sustained head injuries and was flown from the scene by helicopter to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. Shellie Agost, Spokane, sustained wrist and chest injuries and was transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart.

According to the report, Borsare-Irving was driving a 2007 Kia Spectra northbound at approximately 11 a.m. when he attempted to pass another vehicle in the northbound lane. He lost control of the Kia and collided with a 2010 Jeep Cherokee which was being driven by Agost in the southbound lane.

Site of the collision was a quarter mile south of the turnoff to the rest stop.

PARKS

DISTRICT PLAN STALLED

A proposal to place formation of a parks and recreation district on the ballot in the Colfax School District remains in limbo, Colfax Councilman Al Vorderbrueggen reported to the city council Monday night. Vorderbrueggen, who heads the parks board, reported county commissioners had not responded to a request from the city to put the proposal up for a vote in the school district.

The city opted to make the request to the county after deciding not to propose a parks district in the city. The parks district proposal evolved earlier this year as the city faced increased costs of getting the Colfax swim pool into operation.

Vorderbrueggen after Monday night’s meeting said a parks district inside the city limits would probably have a tax base which would be too small to generate enough revenue to replace the pool. A parks district based on the school district would have a larger tax base.

PERKINS MENU INCLUDES LUNCH

Evan and Janine Laubach of Pullman will offer hamburgers and hot dogs Sunday at the Whitman County Historical Society's Ice Cream Social at the Perkins House. The Laubachs operate a catering service.

Huber Action Freight, which provided the luncheon service last year, will donate supplies for the luncheon service at the social this year.

The Perkins menu will again include donated pies, ice cream and other traditional fare for the social, which will run from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

'NO-PARTY' BALLOT TOLL: 187

A total of 187 ballots in the primary election were disqualified because voters failed to indicate a political party when casting a ballot. Party declaration was required, and voters were required to mark their ballots for candidates in the party they selected.

The county received 499 ballots which lacked a party declaration. Those ballots were put aside and voters were contacted by letter. A total of 312 ballots were "cured" when voters returned the notice letters with a party declaration, according to Debbie Hooper, elections supervisor.

The primary election was among topics discussed last week at a state elections meeting which was attended by the county's elections staff.

CHIEF'S JOB DRAWS 14 APPLICANTS

The city posting to fill the restored Fire Chief position had drawn 14 applications as of Tuesday. Mayor Todd Vanek told the city council he expects to start working through the applications this week.

The city has restored the Colfax Fire Chief position after review of the city's fire positions. The city fire chief will be in charge of in-town fire responses and will work with the Colfax Volunteers fire chief in the overall operation.

The head of the city segment of the fire department was formerly headed by a fire administrator.

Posting of the position stated applicants will be accepted up until the time the position is filled.

CHEER TEAM TRIES AGAIN

Colfax cheerleaders, who were rained out of their car wash last Saturday, plan to try again this Saturday, June 25, at the Ackerman lot on Main Street from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proceeds go to cheer squad expenses over the coming sports year.

NOVAK

SENTENCING POSTPONED

Sentencing of Michael Novak, Colfax, was moved back to Friday, July 1, in superior court. Novak, who pleaded guilty to assault, indecent liberties and voyeurism, had been scheduled for sentencing Friday, but his attorney, Roger Sandberg, reported more time is needed to complete an evaluation for a possible sex offender sentencing option.

Novak was arrested March 19 after deputies investigated a case in which he was charged with secretly taking photos of people who were in private situations while visiting his residence on Klaus Road in the Wilcox area.

Sanberg was appointed to represent Novak after court Defense Attorney Steve Martonick stepped aside because of a potential conflict of interest.

RANGE FIRE NEAR ALBION

Colfax, Steptoe and Albion crews responded to the Albion area late June 14 afternoon to assist the Pullman rural firefighters in District 12 with a grass and brush fire off Brayton Road southeast of Albion. The fire burned on the hillside above the South Fork of the Palouse River between Brayton Road and Pat Old Road, which runs along the river.

Fire trucks and tankers reached the fire via a field entry off Brayton Road about a half mile south of its intersection with Albion-Pullman Road.

District 11 Chief Lester Erwin said he received a report of a fire in the area at 4:50 p.m. and called out fire crews after checking to see if it was a controlled burn. Erwin said fire crews remained on the scene for about two hours.

The tough part of the fire battle was getting hoses and crews down the steep hill, he said. The fire slowed down as it reached some of the green trees and shrubs coming up from the river.

Cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Erwin noted the fire on the top side stopped on an adjoining grain field. He added the same fire at that location later in the season could have resulted in extensive grain loss.

ZETTERGREN FEES DROPPED

Legal financial obligations owed by Erik Zettergren, the former Endicott resident who was convicted of second degree murder here in 2005, were dismissed Friday in Whitman County Superior Court. Judge David Frazier, noting the length of time Zettergren will serve in prison, ruled there was not much point in keeping the fines and fees on the books because Zettergren will not have income for many more years. The amount of fines and fees was set at $13,283 when he was sentenced Sept. 30, 2005.

Zettergren filed a seven-page legal motion to dismiss the fees from the state's Stafford Correctional Facility at Aberdeen. He was contacted by telephone for Friday's short hearing.

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Dan LeBeau said the state had no objection to taking the fees off the books.

Zettergren, then 37, was convicted of fatally shooting Jason Robinson, 32, in the head with a pistol Feb. 13, 2005. He was also convicted of assault and unlawful imprisonment for forcing Robinson's fiancée to help him drop the victim's body in the Palouse River under the bridge on St. John-Endicott Road.

FATALITY

AT BRADSHAW ROAD

A one-car accident Sunday at the intersection of Highway 195 and Bradshaw Road south of Spangle took the life of a Nine Mile Falls man Saturday evening. According to the Washington State Patrol report, Marc S. Yates, 57, was driving southbound in the northbound lane on Highway 195 at 6:14 p.m. The 2004 Toyota Camry he was driving left the highway and rolled to a stop on the south side of Bradshaw Road. It came to a stop on its top.

Cause of the accident remains under investigation.

Colfax WINS EXCELLENCE AWARD

The City of Colfax is one of five cities named to receive a Municipal Excellence award this year from the Association of Washington Cities. Thirty-one towns submitted 50 entries for the AWC awards.

Colfax won an award in the Community Revitalization category for efforts to embrace the city's historic heritage. Tours of the upstairs spaces in downtown Colfax, programming use of vacant space for pop-up stores and the Halloween tours of the former St. Ignatius Hospital building were cited as part of the heritage project.

The award is scheduled to be presented at the annual AWC meeting in the Edward Hanson Conference Center in Everett.

CAMPUS THEFT SENTENCE

Aaliya Lewis, 20, the former WSU employee who was charged with diverting two $5,000 payments destined for the university to her own account, was sentenced to 32 days in jail Friday morning in superior court after she pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree theft. Judge David Frazier ordered Lewis to report to jail Friday to serve two days of the sentence and allowed her the option of working off the other 30 days with 240 hours of public service work.

Lewis was charged with diverting the $5,000 payments, one of them a donation, to her own student account with the university last August when she was employed with the WSU controller's office. Defense Attorney Michael Pettit Friday told the court the two payments were transferred back to the intended accounts so there was no actual loss of funds.

Lewis was initially charged with first degree theft, but the charge was reduced to second degree theft.

The judge's sentence was actually more lenient than the 14 days of jail time presented in the plea bargain agreement.

Noting that Lewis did not have any criminal record, Judge Frazier said he believed two days in jail will seem like 60 days to her. She was also ordered to pay $800 in fines and fees.