Bulletin Column Jan. 28

A Ford Econoline van and Chevrolet Sonic collided on the west hill in Colfax Tuesday where Cherry Street curves into Orchard Street. See full story at left.

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.

COLLISION ON W. HILL

Colfax Police and an ambulance crew responded at 8:20 a.m. Tuesday to a collision involving a van and a sedan where Cherry Street meets Orchard Street on the west hill. Daphne Starrett, driver of the van, was taken by ambulance to Whitman Hospital after the collision.

According to Colfax Officer Perry Tate, Starrett, who was driving a 2000 Ford Econoline van used to transport Palouse Industries employees, was driving eastbound on Orchard and collided with a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic driven by Nicole Heilsberg, Colfax. Heilsberg was driving up Cherry Street, and the two vehicles collided on their left front corners where Cherry Street curves into Orchard Street.

Three passengers who were in the Palouse Industries van were unhurt. Another van was brought to the scene to return them to their homes.

Sheriff’s Chaplain Ron McMurray assisted at the scene.

PARK BOARD SEEKS POOL PANEL

Colfax Park Board members Monday night noted they are still awaiting formation of a citizens’ ad hoc committee to come up with a long-range plan for replacing the Colfax swim pool. Board Chairman Al Vorderbrueggen said he feels the project needs to be undertaken by a citizen’s committee and not by members of the the city park board. He said he believed he made that clear at the public session which was called by the park board earlier to determine a course of action for the pool next summer.

Vorderbrueggen noted he is still waiting for the public to participate with the park board in some fashion.

After the earlier session, the park board announced plans to open the ailing swim pool this summer without replacing a boiler which has failed. The pool will open with the other boiler on-line and could continue without a water heating system if the remaining boiler fails.

The board at that time also discussed formation of an ad hoc committee to chart a plan for the long-range solution to the pool problem. They noted there is no guarantee that the swim pool will make it through next summer or that it will be able to open next year.

Board member Donald McClintock said the board has decided the pool is at a stage in its life where the park board cannot continue to keep putting money into it to keep it operating.

The city this year plans to spend up to $10,000 to get the pool back in operation. Part of the sum will be for replacing caulking in more of the pool seams to reduce loss of water. The city also plans to install a pump to direct water which leaks out of the pool into the city’s sewer system and not directly into the North Fork of the Palouse River.

Park Board members Monday night authorized board clerk Linda Kramlich to send an email to approximately 20 people who participated in the previous public session.

The board also discussed options for forming a parks and recreation district which could generate funds to construct a new swim pool. City Administrator Mike Rizzitiello presented a chart of three different possible fund options. One of the new forms, which has emerged over the past 10 years, is a metropolitan park district which allows more options for funding.

The park board asked Rizzitiello to compile a list of pros and cons for each of three options.

Next city park board meeting was set for Feb. 22 at 6 p.m.

BALLOT MAILOUT TOTALS 17,825

Total number of ballots to hit the mail Friday from the county elections office was 17,825. Combined with ballots mailed previously to voters now serving in the military, the ballot count for the election is 18,252.

Friday’s mail-out included 11,715 to voters in the Pullman School District who have been asked to decide a request for a $23.5 million levy to issue bonds over a 20-year period to construct a new elementary school.

Pullman voters will also decide on a four-year levy request for maintenance and operation. The request seeks $5.3 million for 2017 and 2018 and $5.5 million for the following two years.

A total of 2,591 ballots went out to the Colfax School District, which has an operations and maintenance levy on the ballot with $1,275,000 sought for 2017 and $1,300,000 for 2018.

Election officials have received reports that some Oakesdale residents have received ballots for Tekoa propositions. Oakesdale School District has a three-year school levy measure on the ballot, and Tekoa Parks and Recreation has a one-year levy proposal which would fund two years of park and swim pool operations.

Election officials have logged the wrong ballot reports and expected to determine how to correct the mistake Monday.

ACCIDENT ON HIGHWAY 26

The Washington State Patrol and a Colfax Ambulance crew responded Monday morning to a report of a one-vehicle accident at mile marker 121 on Highway 26. Trooper Rob Aucutt reported a 2000 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck driven eastbound by Nick Malatesta, 19, Cle Elum, went out of control on the icy highway at 8:10 a.m. just west of the Penawawa Road intersection. The pickup slid across the highway and came to a halt on its passenger side in the westbound ditch. The driver, who was returning to WSU, was unhurt.

NEW CITY PANEL APPOINTED

Councilwoman Whitney Aguilar will represent the city council on the new economic development, tourism and events committee which has been created to coordinate efforts in those areas. Aguilar volunteered Jan. 19 to be the city council member of the committee.

When introducing the idea at an earlier council session, City Administrator Michael Rizzitiello said the city needed a committee to coordinate projects which are undertaken by various groups in addition to the four-agency combination which is now headed by Valoree Gregory. One of the key tasks of the new committee will be to decide where revenue from the hotel/motel surtax for tourism development is spent. Work on the Codger Pole and development of a pathway on former railroad land next to the Eells Park area were among projects last year which used revenue from the surtax.

Also appointed to the committee were school Supt. Jerry Pugh and library staff member Sarah McKnight as representatives of agencies which can receive the revenue, and Steve Aspenwall of Hilltop Mobile Home park and Caleb Cox of Best Western as representatives of businesses which generate the funds.

Also Tuesday, Jim Lemon was reappointed to the planning commission and Donna Huntwork to the city’s board of adjustment.

WINONA

BUILDING SAID HAZARD

A petition for a warrant of abatement for a building on Endicott Road in Winona was filed in superior court Jan. 20 by the county building inspector. The petition alleges the building, owned by Michael W. Smith of Wapato, has a failing roof which provides an unsafe condition to an adjoining building. The petition says a notice of unsafe condition was sent to the owner at Wapato in 2011 and twice in October 2014 with no response.

FOUR WSU

STUDENTS

SENTENCED

The four WSU freshmen who were charged with drug possession after the car in which they were riding was stopped at mile marker 53 near Cashup on Highway 195 while they were on the way to a concert each pleaded guilty Friday morning to a charge of drug possession in Whitman County Superior Court. Judge David Frazier sentenced each of the defendants to 90 days in jail with all but one day suspended. He gave them the option of serving the one remaining day of the sentence in jail or working it off with 56 hours of public service.

“You have made a real mess for yourselves,” the judge commented, before pronouncing the sentence.

Each was also ordered to pay $700 in fines and fees. They were placed on six months of unsupervised probation with the option of shortening that time if they have the fines paid and the public service work finished before that time.

Defendants in the case were Lindsey Vest, driver of the car, Alexander Castillo, Kenza Umar and Joseph Taylor. Vest, Castillo and Umar are 18, and Taylor is 19.

The charges stem from a search of the car after it was stopped by a deputy for suspected speeding.

Under provisions of the sentence, the defendants will have the opportunity to have the convictions vacated before they complete their college studies so they can make applications for employment with clean records.

Judge Frazier also ordered “no booze and no drugs” during the time they are on probation.

CITY VEHICLES SAID SURPLUS

Two public works vehicles were approved to be declared surplus at the Jan. 19 city council session. A 1979 Ford F-350 flatbed truck with hoist and a 2003 Dodge Caravan were approved to be removed from the city’s lineup of vehicles. Public Works Director Matt Hammer reported the Ford truck had engine problems, and the Caravan has a transmission leak and other mechanical problems. Hammer said the city plans to sell the trucks locally via sealed bids.

CITY COUNCIL HONORS

HAMMER

Colfax Public Works Director Matt Hammer was named Jan. 19 to be first recipient of the Colfax Employee of the Year award. The award was presented to Hammer by Mayor Todd Vanek during the Jan. 19 city council session. Vanek said the city decided to start the Employee of the Year award program under the new personnel policy which calls for reviewing employees by performance.

Among other qualities, he credited Hammer with extra effort in hiring and training employees for the public works department which marked a large turnover last year. He also credited Hammer with early preparation of the department’s budget and undertaking a long overdue upgrade in the city equipment.

Hammer has headed the public works department since January of last year. He was named to the job following the retirement of Andy Rogers.

CITY APPROVES GRANT

APPLICATION

Colfax City Council members Jan. 19 night approved preparation of a grant application to begin planning for replacement of the Glenwood water supply line along the North Fork of the Palouse River. The grant application will seek $33,000 for pre-engineering for the project in preparation for a grant application for funds to undertake the project. The application will be made to the Community Economic Revitalization Board.

Under provisions of the pre-planning grant, the city would be required to pay about $8,000 of the grant total in matching funds. The $8,000 match would come out of a $20,000 fund which the city has budgeted for design work this year.

Cost of replacing the Glenwood water line, which carries water from the city’s artesian wells at Glenwood to the reservoir supply pumps in town, has been estimated in the $3.5 million range. The overall Glenwood project, which would include an upgrade of the Glenwood line, is expected to be in the $6 million range.

CITY APPROVES DONATION FUND

Colfax City Council Jan. 19 approved creation of a new city fund which will contain all donations to the city. City Administrator Michael Rizzitiello said having a single fund for all donations will provide the city with better tracking of the funds. Previously donations were placed in the specific funds where the donations were intended.

The fund proposal was modified after Councilman Jim Kackman said he would like to see a requirement by which donors would specify the recipient of their donations. The condition, which was discussed at a previous council session, was sought because the council members felt city staffers should not be placed in a position of selecting the recipient of a donation, particularly when a recipient would have to be selected from among several choices.

An example cited Tuesday was a possible donation to help people catch up on utility bills.