The Watchdog Magazine Jan 2024 : simplebooklet.com

CORNERKelso’s Mystery WarehouseAxe ThrowingWoodland ~ CorruptionTell us what you think:email the editor at All of you are wonderfulpeople for engaging in thisactivity! The city of Longview even tried topass a Metropolitan Tax District toget more money – it was voted downoverwhelmingly by the citizens ofLongview. We are facing the proverbial trainwreck! Those vested interests whocontrol government spending foryears, if not decades, will not give uptheir dollars without a fight. The new councils and citizensmust try to pick up the pieces andturn these ships around. Hang on tight and look out foreach other. This could get ugly,especially for the most vulnerableamong us! It is time to neighbor upand hang together as families assome may be priced out of theirhomes. The “Watchdog” will be therewatching and reporting at every turn. Each of you also has a role to play– now is the time to start attendingmeetings of various governmentaland school bodies, watching,learning, and holding those in chargeaccountable. Those meetings are alllisted in this publication – for bothin-person and Zoom attendance. We make change by voting – that iswhat happened this election cycle. You subscribe to this newsletterbecause you are concerned. Butbefore we can vote, we must beregistered. We will be working with each ofyou to make sure that you areregistered so that all of us will havethat VOICE in the next election!PS: Happy, but wary, New Year!WatchdogEditor@protonmail.com There is not a more importantfunction of any government thanpublic safety. We have been shininga light on this issue in the City ofLongview for months. The more weexamined it, the worse it looked. The brighter the light, the lesstransparent and accountable the citycouncil and administration hadbecome. We gave them every opportunityto learn from their constituents –even to the point of having over 400in attendance at one meeting. We watched them double down onbad policy after bad policy. Wewatched them run all over thecountry from the county through thestate and federal government to findmoney to cover their extremespending on Camp Alabama versions1 and 2. Spending was more than 2.5million dollars at a time when citybalance sheets were projected to fallin the face of out-of-control inflationcaused by poor fiscal policy at thelocal, state, and national levels. Local governments and schooldistricts are all way behind indeferred maintenance, yet they areall undeterred in spending moremoney for new things – money thatthey do not have. County CommissionersLongview Utility RatesCottage CommunitiesHomeless Guiding PrinciplesMeet Travis Keele03040607080911School Levies15Roundabouts, Stuffy’s II & Gators Guns Updates Well, the first stage of changehas happened – the election resultsfor Longview and Woodland are thewave of the future. The outgoingpoliticians of these cities have hadtheir way during their last twocouncil meetings in office, raisingtaxes and fees. Departing members of theLongview City Council weresuddenly unwilling to continue“kicking the can down the road”? It was a little too late, as thevoters had no problem “kicking mostof them down the road.” Woodland is ready for change.Superior Court Judge Gary Bashorofficially swore in mayor-electDinehart. This ceremony was held inWoodland City Council Chambers onthe 21st of December in front of astanding-room-only crowd Editor’sLarryPage 2 January 2024The Watchdog 10Table ofCONTENTSWhat people are saying about the Watchdog:12Thank you readers Editor’sCORNER Change was in the air, as voters werebecoming increasingly educated throughsources like “The Watchdog“ Magazine therefore more aware of what their localgovernments were doing to them. Theydid not like much of what they wereseeing. Voters in both the cities ofLongview and Woodland haveoverwhelmingly rejected their currentcouncils, both by removing the mostcorrupt, but also by turning over thevoting majorities. Both city councils are now busyincreasing taxes and rewarding theirspecial interest supporters on the way outthe door. This behavior has reinforced the notionthat some people had no business being inoffice in the first place. This is politics atits worst and just reinforces the impulsesof most people that many politicians arecorrupt and most interested inthemselves at the expense of those forwhom they serve. Two long-term politicians, Wallin inLongview, and Finn in Woodland wereboth defeated for very good reasons.Wallin was competitive in numbers ofvotes, but only because his big moneydonors gave him money to run continuousradio ads the last few weeks of thecampaign. Finn was so unpopular that heonly had 30% support on his way out.. This message was delivered at the Nov20th Woodland City Council meeting by ayoung 16-year-old home-schooled student.“Representative Walsh, who represents agood portion of Cowlitz County, gave thefollowing report the next day in one of hisweekly live streams. He said, “After anelection, there is a transitional period whenthe outgoing officeholders will still be inoffice after being voted out. It’s not unusualthat these so-called ‘lame duck’ officials willtry to do a lot in their last couple of meetings. Generally, as a professional courtesy, theywill not make major policy changes duringthis time. But some are not courteous, andthey try to jam a lot of stuff through. That isunprofessional, but not illegal. It isconsidered ‘bad form’ for one voted out tomake a lot of changes and rush the stuffthrough in their last couple of meetings. Itappears that they want to stick it to peopleon their way out.” I watched Finn grit his teeth and turnvarious colors of red while these remarkswere being read by someone 1/4 his age. ButFinn did rush through changes to reward fouradministrative officeholders who were loyalto him. He barely had the votes (4 to 3) topull these and other initiatives off. There is no guarantee that those newlyelected will be any better than thoseremoved. Human nature does not change –and it is the role of “The Watchdog ” toremain vigilant and look out for the public. Yes, there is hope for the future as thehopeless are replaced by those giving hope.Now it is up to you to become more educatedand more involved; and to make sure toregister and vote in all coming elections. Youare the Change! You are the Future!professional courtesy be damnedWatchdogEditor@protonmail.comTell us what youthink:email the editor at politics at its worstLarryPage 2December 2023The Watchdog Magazine CORNERKelso’s Mystery WarehouseAxe ThrowingWoodland ~ CorruptionTell us what you think:email the editor at All of you are wonderfulpeople for engaging in thisactivity! The city of Longview even tried topass a Metropolitan Tax District toget more money – it was voted downoverwhelmingly by the citizens ofLongview. We are facing the proverbial trainwreck! Those vested interests whocontrol government spending foryears, if not decades, will not give uptheir dollars without a fight. The new councils and citizensmust try to pick up the pieces andturn these ships around. Hang on tight and look out foreach other. This could get ugly,especially for the most vulnerableamong us! It is time to neighbor upand hang together as families assome may be priced out of theirhomes. The “Watchdog” will be therewatching and reporting at every turn. Each of you also has a role to play– now is the time to start attendingmeetings of various governmentaland school bodies, watching,learning, and holding those in chargeaccountable. Those meetings are alllisted in this publication – for bothin-person and Zoom attendance. We make change by voting – that iswhat happened this election cycle. You subscribe to this newsletterbecause you are concerned. Butbefore we can vote, we must beregistered. We will be working with each ofyou to make sure that you areregistered so that all of us will havethat VOICE in the next election!PS: Happy, but wary, New Year!WatchdogEditor@protonmail.com There is not a more importantfunction of any government thanpublic safety. We have been shininga light on this issue in the City ofLongview for months. The more weexamined it, the worse it looked. The brighter the light, the lesstransparent and accountable the citycouncil and administration hadbecome. We gave them every opportunityto learn from their constituents –even to the point of having over 400in attendance at one meeting. We watched them double down onbad policy after bad policy. Wewatched them run all over thecountry from the county through thestate and federal government to findmoney to cover their extremespending on Camp Alabama versions1 and 2. Spending was more than 2.5million dollars at a time when citybalance sheets were projected to fallin the face of out-of-control inflationcaused by poor fiscal policy at thelocal, state, and national levels. Local governments and schooldistricts are all way behind indeferred maintenance, yet they areall undeterred in spending moremoney for new things – money thatthey do not have. County CommissionersLongview Utility RatesCottage CommunitiesHomeless Guiding PrinciplesMeet Travis Keele03040607080911School Levies15Roundabouts, Stuffy’s II & Gators Guns Updates Well, the first stage of changehas happened – the election resultsfor Longview and Woodland are thewave of the future. The outgoingpoliticians of these cities have hadtheir way during their last twocouncil meetings in office, raisingtaxes and fees. Departing members of theLongview City Council weresuddenly unwilling to continue“kicking the can down the road”? It was a little too late, as thevoters had no problem “kicking mostof them down the road.” Woodland is ready for change.Superior Court Judge Gary Bashorofficially swore in mayor-electDinehart. This ceremony was held inWoodland City Council Chambers onthe 21st of December in front of astanding-room-only crowd Editor’sLarryPage 2 January 2024The Watchdog 10Table ofCONTENTSWhat people are saying about the Watchdog:12Thank you readers

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Click on the article below to read it inits entirety. Of particular concern is that58 of the 67 COVID cases were “vaccinebreakthroughs.” Vaccine breakthrough’shappen when someone is vaccinated butstill catches COVID. Could this have beenthe reason Dr. Melnick choose not to tellthe Board of Health, CountyCommissioners, or the public about thisevent until it was discovered throughpublic records requests. In an email he specifically mentionednot discussing “breakthrough” casesunless the press asked about it. In anAugust email, Melnick complained “Thenews is getting ahead of us and it’s givingthe public the perception that vaccinesare ineffective.” This is just a small sample of theabsolute disdain some public healthofficers have for the general public andthe local officials they elected. Dr. Melnick portrays a very familiarattitude to that of Dr. Fauci. Dr. Fauci saidit best “A lot of what you’re seeing asattacks on me quite frankly are attacks onscience.” To “The Watchdog” it feels like thechickens have come home to roost. Board of County CommissionersArne Mortenson, Rick Dahl and Dennis WeberPage 3The Watchdog Shelter for Homeless Youth The Commissioners allocated $2 million from the document recording fees to Community House on Broadway for their newyouth homeless shelter. Community House will focus on ensuring safety, education, and life skills for the youth stuck in this mostdifficult situation. With $2 million allocated, there is about half a million dollars left in the fund. The document recording fees are set by the state.All the recording fees go to Olympia and then a portion is returned to the county for affordable housing and homeless programs.Effective July 2021, the State Legislature increased the fee by 100 dollars to $303.50. Washington now has one of the highest document recording fees in the entire country. It seems a bit ironic that Olympia raisesthe cost of purchasing or selling a home, and then claims they are making housing more affordable. We are glad that Frank Morrison, a man with a proven track record of helping people become self-sufficient, will be the oneoverseeing this endeavor. Helping teens gain control of themselves and their lives is one of the most important things we as adultscan do. We all know how difficult it was to be a teenager. To be homeless on top of that? “The Watchdog” is glad that FrankMorrison is the overseer of this important project. COVID Nightmare & Cover up resurface The hot topic of discussion right now isthe Board of Health’s County HealthOfficer. Cowlitz County had been contractingwith Dr. Melnick and Dr. Krager fromClark County. Their contract for Cowlitz County wasnot renewed at the end of 2023. Thesedoctors also served several surroundingcounties, including Lewis County. TheirLewis County contract was terminated inMarch 2022. When asked, Commissioner Dahlstated, “We are trying to find a personwho will truly represent the citizens ofthis county. Not just be a mouthpiecefor State and Federal policy. Citizens ofthis County are very capable of makingdecisions for themselves, they just needfull and correct information.Unfortunately, the State makes this ahard process. Through Legislation, theyhave designated these duties to only oneperson. The County will get this figuredout with minimal disruption. They’relooking for a person that will better serveour citizens and County.” Public records requests (PRR),unveiled the fact that Dr. Melnickwithheld information regarding anAugust 2021 incident concerning one ofthe largest COVID outbreaks in ClarkCounty. Sadly 14 residents passed awayat a memory care facility. Not renewing their contract seems tobe the right move for those of us whodon’t want the government to dictateour every move. Dr. Melnick seemedmore concerned about carrying water forthe State and Federal public healthdepartments than telling the truth to theresidents he purported to protect. Until this situation is resolved, birthcertificates, death certificates andother official documents will behandled by other counties. Sometimes forging a path forwardisn't a simple or easy task. You may remember in Seattle andother parts of the country when peoplewere being arrested for not wearingtheir masks and they were forced toshow their vaccine passports to entergrocery stores and public spaces. Because our County Commissionersvoted no on enforcing the statemandates, nobody in Cowlitz Countywas arrested or fined as in other partsof the state. We are grateful for our CountyCommissioners who stand strong forthe citizens of Cowlitz County evenwhen it's not popular with the powersthat be. We need local control with doctorsand representatives who respectpeople rather than schilling for the topdown policies from Olympia andWashington DC.We know the vaccines aren’t effective!Shhh ~ Don’t tell anyone!January 2024Read the article herehttps://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/clark-county-public-health-officials-provide-information-about-august-covid-outbreak-at-vancouver-memory-care-facility/ Cowlitz County Concerned CitizensAn informative magazine for the people, by the peopleCOUNTY, LONGVIEW, KELSO, CASTLE ROCK, TOUTLE & WOODLANDKALAMA COMING SOONDECEMBER 2023This monthly magazine is published by a group of citizens from Cowlitz County to keep residentsinformed. For almost two years we've attended city, county, and school board meetings acrossthe county. We are on the ground at all the meetings, we know the players, and over time wehave learned how to observe and interpret their actions. We have written about it in thispublication and on social media. We have also spoken with thousands of you in person, on yourfront door steps and we thank you for your continued support.Here is WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW! The first step is to be informed!The second step is to VOTE!SAVE YOUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS SO YOU CAN REFRESH YOUR MEMORY WHEN IT COMES TIME TO VOTE!This magazine is distributed monthly free of charge through local businesses, by personaldelivery, or by e-mail subscription. Please provide your name, street address, and telephonenumber when requesting a subscription.Submit your subscription request at: CowCCC@proton.meFREEDecember 2023 Page 3The Watchdog MagazineTable ofCONTENTSParks Dept Tax04Superintendents retiring09County Commissioners08Stuffy’s II RestaurantLongview Shenanigans0610Kelso Roundabouts14Gators Guns16Castle Rock17WoodlandMadoff AwardsSchool District Report Cards181922 - 27 Click on the article below to read it inits entirety. Of particular concern is that58 of the 67 COVID cases were “vaccinebreakthroughs.” Vaccine breakthrough’shappen when someone is vaccinated butstill catches COVID. Could this have beenthe reason Dr. Melnick choose not to tellthe Board of Health, CountyCommissioners, or the public about thisevent until it was discovered throughpublic records requests. In an email he specifically mentionednot discussing “breakthrough” casesunless the press asked about it. In anAugust email, Melnick complained “Thenews is getting ahead of us and it’s givingthe public the perception that vaccinesare ineffective.” This is just a small sample of theabsolute disdain some public healthofficers have for the general public andthe local officials they elected. Dr. Melnick portrays a very familiarattitude to that of Dr. Fauci. Dr. Fauci saidit best “A lot of what you’re seeing asattacks on me quite frankly are attacks onscience.” To “The Watchdog” it feels like thechickens have come home to roost. Board of County CommissionersArne Mortenson, Rick Dahl and Dennis WeberPage 3The Watchdog Shelter for Homeless Youth The Commissioners allocated $2 million from the document recording fees to Community House on Broadway for their newyouth homeless shelter. Community House will focus on ensuring safety, education, and life skills for the youth stuck in this mostdifficult situation. With $2 million allocated, there is about half a million dollars left in the fund. The document recording fees are set by the state.All the recording fees go to Olympia and then a portion is returned to the county for affordable housing and homeless programs.Effective July 2021, the State Legislature increased the fee by 100 dollars to $303.50. Washington now has one of the highest document recording fees in the entire country. It seems a bit ironic that Olympia raisesthe cost of purchasing or selling a home, and then claims they are making housing more affordable. We are glad that Frank Morrison, a man with a proven track record of helping people become self-sufficient, will be the oneoverseeing this endeavor. Helping teens gain control of themselves and their lives is one of the most important things we as adultscan do. We all know how difficult it was to be a teenager. To be homeless on top of that? “The Watchdog” is glad that FrankMorrison is the overseer of this important project. COVID Nightmare & Cover up resurface The hot topic of discussion right now isthe Board of Health’s County HealthOfficer. Cowlitz County had been contractingwith Dr. Melnick and Dr. Krager fromClark County. Their contract for Cowlitz County wasnot renewed at the end of 2023. Thesedoctors also served several surroundingcounties, including Lewis County. TheirLewis County contract was terminated inMarch 2022. When asked, Commissioner Dahlstated, “We are trying to find a personwho will truly represent the citizens ofthis county. Not just be a mouthpiecefor State and Federal policy. Citizens ofthis County are very capable of makingdecisions for themselves, they just needfull and correct information.Unfortunately, the State makes this ahard process. Through Legislation, theyhave designated these duties to only oneperson. The County will get this figuredout with minimal disruption. They’relooking for a person that will better serveour citizens and County.” Public records requests (PRR),unveiled the fact that Dr. Melnickwithheld information regarding anAugust 2021 incident concerning one ofthe largest COVID outbreaks in ClarkCounty. Sadly 14 residents passed awayat a memory care facility. Not renewing their contract seems tobe the right move for those of us whodon’t want the government to dictateour every move. Dr. Melnick seemedmore concerned about carrying water forthe State and Federal public healthdepartments than telling the truth to theresidents he purported to protect. Until this situation is resolved, birthcertificates, death certificates andother official documents will behandled by other counties. Sometimes forging a path forwardisn't a simple or easy task. You may remember in Seattle andother parts of the country when peoplewere being arrested for not wearingtheir masks and they were forced toshow their vaccine passports to entergrocery stores and public spaces. Because our County Commissionersvoted no on enforcing the statemandates, nobody in Cowlitz Countywas arrested or fined as in other partsof the state. We are grateful for our CountyCommissioners who stand strong forthe citizens of Cowlitz County evenwhen it's not popular with the powersthat be. We need local control with doctorsand representatives who respectpeople rather than schilling for the topdown policies from Olympia andWashington DC.We know the vaccines aren’t effective!Shhh ~ Don’t tell anyone!January 2024Read the article herehttps://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/clark-county-public-health-officials-provide-information-about-august-covid-outbreak-at-vancouver-memory-care-facility/

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www.TheRoofDoctor.comLongview Utility Rate Increases!Water, Sewer, Stormwater: Water Department Our water infrastructure is a $500million system. Adhering to the state's100-year replacement guidelines, wewill need $5 million every year for thewater’s capital repairs. According to Mr. Hash'spresentation, there has been a threepercent rise in consumers, a 14 percentdecline in consumption, and inflationhas greatly decreased their buyingpower. Couple these problems with anaccounting miscalculation and now thebudget is off approximately $2 million. Mr. Hash took responsibility for thiserror. He stated that the error had beencaught and needed to be corrected.Unfortunately, it happened, and thefund is short. On December 20th, thebase rate was raised by five percent. There were a few things that stuckout in the water portion of thepresentation. For example, they chargetheir own facilities like the youth leaguefields for water. We can agree watchingfamilies living life and enjoying thefruits of our labors make our youthfields a city-owned jewel, almost on thesame level as Lake Sacajawea. The sewer replacement value is$400 million. Based on the state's100-year replacement cycle, Longviewshould have yearly capital repairs inthe amount of $4 million. Last year, at $1.3 million, the capitalbudget was well below therecommended $4 million. Theoperating budget for employee wages,equipment, building maintenance, etc.,was just under $12.5 million. Mr. Hash said the sewer's capitalbudget is healthy now because thebonds for the Three Rivers RegionalWastewater Treatment Plant, TRWWA,have been paid off. TRWWA is basically“where the turds go” for processingand sanitation. Longview, Kelso, andBeacon Hill Water Districts make upTRWWA and share in the costs. On Dec 7th, the Public WorksDirector, Ken Hash, gave his report tothe Longview City Council. The worksdepartment is responsible for ourcity's utilities and its criticalinfrastructure. Engineering, designing, building,and repairing all of our water, sewer,storm drains, sidewalks, streets,urban forestry, etc. Years of kicking the can down theroad have left them in a pickle. Ourcritical infrastructure is crumbling,there are not enough employees toget the job done, almost all of thevehicles are at end of life, plus, thereare over 748 addresses on thesidewalk repair backlog. There are many reasons for thesedilemmas, including but not limitedto, little to no tax increases since theCOVID years, an accidentalmiscalculation that resulted in fundsbeing counted twice, couple thoseissues with huge jumps in inflation,and an estimated 14 percentdecrease in water consumption; theend result is less revenue all acrossthe board.Following is a summary of Mr. Hash'spresentation:January 2024Page 4The Watchdog EMERGENCY SERVICESewer Department The real question is why are thecity-owned facilities buying water fromthe city-owned water utility? Can wekeep track of the water usage but savethe man-hours of back-and-forth billingand payments? When we think of all thetime each city department potentiallyspends billing each other, that couldadd up. With advancements in technologyis there a better way to keep thepaperwork and money straight? We'llencourage the city to look into it, it maybe small, but it could be big. Right noweverything needs to be on the table forconsideration.Flowers & GiftsBirthday * WeddingsFuneral ServiceSympathy * Get WellAll Occassion477 Oregon Way * Longview(360) 578-7673Delivery Available Five Local School DistrictSuperintendents Retire This is big … really, really, reallybig. The decisions made now willhave a profound effect on thecore, heart, and soul of ourcommunity for decades to come. There are five local schooldistrict superintendents in ourimmediate vicinity retiring thisyear. These districts are Longview,Woodland, Kalama, Toutle Lake &Ridgefield. Their last day will beafter the 23–24 school year ends.Their successor will need to be inplace by the beginning of July2024 as the school administrationstarts planning for the next schoolyear. Having the right superintendentin place is incredibly important What exactly does asuperintendent do? Greatquestion! They are in charge of allthe schools. The school principalsreport to the superintendent. Youcould consider him or her to bethe facilitator that oversees allthe schools within the district, aswell as the coordinator betweenthe state, the school board, andthe school administration. It's a massive balancing act andrequires a fair amount of politicalskill as well. Politics brings into play thequestion; liberal or conservative?Whether we like it or not, thehierarchy of our public schoolsystem is politicized. We're notsaying the superintendent as anindividual is politicized, we'resaying the system in and of itselfis political. We believe politicsshouldn’t have a place in theschool system. Unfortunately,it is the reality in which we live. The best way to fix thesystem is to work together withpeople who share our values tochange the system. This iswhere you come in, being partof the process is a win. As a community we need todecide what's best for ourschools and our kids. Do wewant a superintendent thatdoes exactly as the statemandates without question? Orperhaps the community wantsa superintendent that willstand-up for the communitywhen they believe something'snot right for their schools? The superintendent holds apowerful position. Our schoolboards are the one’s whodecide who that person willbe.. Engaging in this process andencouraging your schoolboards to hire the person thatshares your values and yourvision of your kids' future isimportant. It all starts witheducation. Looking for a new leader fora school district has itsobstacles for sure. It's a bigassignment even when it's justone school district looking. Thisyear there will be five in ourown area competing for thebest of the best. It's bound tobe a challenge. Each district will be updatingtheir websites with dates, times,meetings, etc., on a regularbasis. On the following pagesplease find your school district’swebsite link, along with anoutline of what the processentails, your individual schooldistrict’s report card and otherinformation that you’ll need tobecome involved. We encourage you to make ita habit to click on your schoolboards link daily as there will belots of moving parts to thisstory. Once it starts to move itwill move quickly. They hope tobe seating and interviewingserious candidates by the firstpart of February. We're sure youcan see the magnitude of thisdecision. The values that thesuperintendent brings to thetable are a critical part of ourchildren's future and overallwell being. It's astonishing that so manykids are graduating withoutknowing how to read and write. We hope you'll join yourneighbors and get involved withthis process. Five local schoolboards looking for newsuperintendents must be arecord. There's going to be toughcompetition between districtsto entice qualified applicants.Together, as a community wecan work with our school boardsand help guide them as theyselect the applicants that bestfit our community, our values,and our goals.December 2023Page 4 The Watchdog Magazine www.TheRoofDoctor.comLongview Utility Rate Increases!Water, Sewer, Stormwater: Water Department Our water infrastructure is a $500million system. Adhering to the state's100-year replacement guidelines, wewill need $5 million every year for thewater’s capital repairs. According to Mr. Hash'spresentation, there has been a threepercent rise in consumers, a 14 percentdecline in consumption, and inflationhas greatly decreased their buyingpower. Couple these problems with anaccounting miscalculation and now thebudget is off approximately $2 million. Mr. Hash took responsibility for thiserror. He stated that the error had beencaught and needed to be corrected.Unfortunately, it happened, and thefund is short. On December 20th, thebase rate was raised by five percent. There were a few things that stuckout in the water portion of thepresentation. For example, they chargetheir own facilities like the youth leaguefields for water. We can agree watchingfamilies living life and enjoying thefruits of our labors make our youthfields a city-owned jewel, almost on thesame level as Lake Sacajawea. The sewer replacement value is$400 million. Based on the state's100-year replacement cycle, Longviewshould have yearly capital repairs inthe amount of $4 million. Last year, at $1.3 million, the capitalbudget was well below therecommended $4 million. Theoperating budget for employee wages,equipment, building maintenance, etc.,was just under $12.5 million. Mr. Hash said the sewer's capitalbudget is healthy now because thebonds for the Three Rivers RegionalWastewater Treatment Plant, TRWWA,have been paid off. TRWWA is basically“where the turds go” for processingand sanitation. Longview, Kelso, andBeacon Hill Water Districts make upTRWWA and share in the costs. On Dec 7th, the Public WorksDirector, Ken Hash, gave his report tothe Longview City Council. The worksdepartment is responsible for ourcity's utilities and its criticalinfrastructure. Engineering, designing, building,and repairing all of our water, sewer,storm drains, sidewalks, streets,urban forestry, etc. Years of kicking the can down theroad have left them in a pickle. Ourcritical infrastructure is crumbling,there are not enough employees toget the job done, almost all of thevehicles are at end of life, plus, thereare over 748 addresses on thesidewalk repair backlog. There are many reasons for thesedilemmas, including but not limitedto, little to no tax increases since theCOVID years, an accidentalmiscalculation that resulted in fundsbeing counted twice, couple thoseissues with huge jumps in inflation,and an estimated 14 percentdecrease in water consumption; theend result is less revenue all acrossthe board.Following is a summary of Mr. Hash'spresentation:January 2024Page 4The Watchdog EMERGENCY SERVICESewer Department The real question is why are thecity-owned facilities buying water fromthe city-owned water utility? Can wekeep track of the water usage but savethe man-hours of back-and-forth billingand payments? When we think of all thetime each city department potentiallyspends billing each other, that couldadd up. With advancements in technologyis there a better way to keep thepaperwork and money straight? We'llencourage the city to look into it, it maybe small, but it could be big. Right noweverything needs to be on the table forconsideration.Flowers & GiftsBirthday * WeddingsFuneral ServiceSympathy * Get WellAll Occassion477 Oregon Way * Longview(360) 578-7673Delivery Available

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Unfortunately, Mr. Hash did notknow how much was in the fund andour city council members didn't ask himto find out. Mr. Hash suggested that once thenext set of projects start, the fund willbe depleted quickly. We do not doubtMr. Hash's word - but how much is inthe fund and how quickly will it bedepleted is a valid question. How can our council members raisethe Sewer rates without knowingexactly what the balance sheets areand how much more will be required toremedy the situation? It's too late now, on December 20ththe city council raised the rates by fivepercent. In the future, “The Watchdog”will encourage the city council to askmore questions, get in-depth answers,and not kick the can down the roadanymore. STORMWATER Last year there weren't any capitalprojects. They did have a budget of$100,000 for emergencies. This yearthey are asking for almost $1.5 millionfor capital projects. Four major projects have beenidentified as needing repairs, plus,replenishment of the emergency fundis necessary. One of the projects is the DelawareStreet Stormwater Infrastructure.Longview City Council voted down thisproject a few years back. Our take on it is this – it's not themost damaged part of theinfrastructure, but it's high up theladder of importance because our onlyhospital is at risk. URBAN FOREST Growing up in Alaska, I’ve neverthought of city trees as a forest. But,they are and they need to be cared for. The 13,000 city-owned trees are acritical part of our community'suniqueness and beauty. Who wants tolive in a town without trees? These old, and very big trees comewith a host of problems. Roots breakingup sewer lines, water lines, sidewalks,and streets, not to mention leaveseverywhere, limbs hanging over homes,and the danger of cutting them down. Longview Utility Rate Increases!Continued: The rain event of 2020 causedalmost $5 million in flood damages tothe hospital. Mr. Hash said theirinsurance did pay, but they also made itvery clear - they would not pay again. This section of our stormwatersystem is almost 50/50 owned by thecity and PeaceHealth. The hospital hasoffered to pay 95% of the project and isasking the city to pay the other fivepercent, or approximately $500,000. Our previous council voted downthis project. This seems like a penny-wise and pound-foolish move. Say whatyou will about PeaceHealth, but riskingour area's only hospital does not seemwise. The City Council raised the rates$2.61 for a base rate charge of $17.11per month. GET STUFFED AT STUFFY'S!BuySell TradeConsignGunsmithingTues - Sat: 9a m - 6pmWWentz@gatorscustom.netPhone: 360-353-5244 * Fax: 360-353-5245 GATORS CUSTOM GUNS109 Allen St * Kelso, WA 98626 According to Mr. Hash, urban forestsusually have a 30 to 40-year life span.Many of our trees are 80 to 100 yearsold. One area in which we could cut costsis in leaf pick-up. Leaf pick-up takes ourcrews 3 – 4 months every year. If thisservice stops, this would mean youcould no longer blow your leaves intothe streets for the city to pick up. Can we take care of our leaves?What happens if you take care of yourleaves and the neighbor down thestreet is unable to care for theirs? Does the city monitor and finepeople? Leaves clogging up the stormdrains, backing up the water, andcausing flooding is unacceptable. As a homeowner, you'd have torake, bag, and transfer your leaves tobe mulched or thrown in the landfill. Are you willing to dispose of yourleaves, will you help your neighbor, orperhaps you want the service tocontinue and you're willing to payhigher rates? Only you can make that decision.What's most important is that you makethat decision and contact your citycouncil members and let them knowwhat's on your mind.Help for low-income seniors and those with disabilities There is a $220,000 fund to helpthose in need. Please reach out to thePublic Works Dept at 360-442-5200 formore information. The Watchdog January 2024 Page 5 With this in mind, we'd like to share with you a brief outline of the step-by-step processeach school board will go through and how you can be involved in the process: School Boards will interview and sign contracts with an agent to administer the talentsearch. Most school districts have taken this step already.Agree upon a timeline in which each step in the hiring process shall be completed.Most school boards will be voting on their timeline at their mid–December schoolboard meetings.After the timeline is approved they will seek public input via surveys. This is thebeginning stage for us as a community. This is where we get to tell the school boardwhat is important to us. They in turn will direct the talent scouts on the qualities andskills we want them to look for in a candidate.Talent search and candidate interviews begin. Each school board has its own way ofdealing with this task. Some boards will do the initial interviews, pick three, and thenhost open community forums for the public to meet the candidates. Others may havethe public involved in the initial interviews and take input from the public beforepicking the finalists. We've included the links below so you can keep up on what stageyour school district is in and when the surveys and public forums will take place.Once the finalists have been picked their application will go to the school board forfinal consideration. With a majority vote, a new superintendent will be hired. Once acontract is signed we can imagine they'll be in their position for ten years or more.One of the most important responsibilities a local school board has is to hire a superintendent!https://www.longviewschools.comhttps://www.woodlandschools.orghttps://www.kalamaschools.orgKalama School DistrictHome of the ChinooksRIDGEFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICTunlimited possibilitieshttps://www.ridgefieldsd.orgHow does your school district stack up?See school district report cards pages 22 - 27 December 2023 Page 5The Watchdog Magazinehttps://www.toutlesd.orgToutle Lake School DistrictFighting Ducks Unfortunately, Mr. Hash did notknow how much was in the fund andour city council members didn't ask himto find out. Mr. Hash suggested that once thenext set of projects start, the fund willbe depleted quickly. We do not doubtMr. Hash's word - but how much is inthe fund and how quickly will it bedepleted is a valid question. How can our council members raisethe Sewer rates without knowingexactly what the balance sheets areand how much more will be required toremedy the situation? It's too late now, on December 20ththe city council raised the rates by fivepercent. In the future, “The Watchdog”will encourage the city council to askmore questions, get in-depth answers,and not kick the can down the roadanymore. STORMWATER Last year there weren't any capitalprojects. They did have a budget of$100,000 for emergencies. This yearthey are asking for almost $1.5 millionfor capital projects. Four major projects have beenidentified as needing repairs, plus,replenishment of the emergency fundis necessary. One of the projects is the DelawareStreet Stormwater Infrastructure.Longview City Council voted down thisproject a few years back. Our take on it is this – it's not themost damaged part of theinfrastructure, but it's high up theladder of importance because our onlyhospital is at risk. URBAN FOREST Growing up in Alaska, I’ve neverthought of city trees as a forest. But,they are and they need to be cared for. The 13,000 city-owned trees are acritical part of our community'suniqueness and beauty. Who wants tolive in a town without trees? These old, and very big trees comewith a host of problems. Roots breakingup sewer lines, water lines, sidewalks,and streets, not to mention leaveseverywhere, limbs hanging over homes,and the danger of cutting them down. Longview Utility Rate Increases!Continued: The rain event of 2020 causedalmost $5 million in flood damages tothe hospital. Mr. Hash said theirinsurance did pay, but they also made itvery clear - they would not pay again. This section of our stormwatersystem is almost 50/50 owned by thecity and PeaceHealth. The hospital hasoffered to pay 95% of the project and isasking the city to pay the other fivepercent, or approximately $500,000. Our previous council voted downthis project. This seems like a penny-wise and pound-foolish move. Say whatyou will about PeaceHealth, but riskingour area's only hospital does not seemwise. The City Council raised the rates$2.61 for a base rate charge of $17.11per month. GET STUFFED AT STUFFY'S!BuySell TradeConsignGunsmithingTues - Sat: 9a m - 6pmWWentz@gatorscustom.netPhone: 360-353-5244 * Fax: 360-353-5245 GATORS CUSTOM GUNS109 Allen St * Kelso, WA 98626 According to Mr. Hash, urban forestsusually have a 30 to 40-year life span.Many of our trees are 80 to 100 yearsold. One area in which we could cut costsis in leaf pick-up. Leaf pick-up takes ourcrews 3 – 4 months every year. If thisservice stops, this would mean youcould no longer blow your leaves intothe streets for the city to pick up. Can we take care of our leaves?What happens if you take care of yourleaves and the neighbor down thestreet is unable to care for theirs? Does the city monitor and finepeople? Leaves clogging up the stormdrains, backing up the water, andcausing flooding is unacceptable. As a homeowner, you'd have torake, bag, and transfer your leaves tobe mulched or thrown in the landfill. Are you willing to dispose of yourleaves, will you help your neighbor, orperhaps you want the service tocontinue and you're willing to payhigher rates? Only you can make that decision.What's most important is that you makethat decision and contact your citycouncil members and let them knowwhat's on your mind.Help for low-income seniors and those with disabilities There is a $220,000 fund to helpthose in need. Please reach out to thePublic Works Dept at 360-442-5200 formore information. The Watchdog January 2024 Page 5

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"The Watchdog" final analysis: As much as we dislike the thought,the utility rates needed to beincreased. Sinkholes and failures are almost adaily occurrence. Overtime pay foremergencies was budgeted, but therewere so many emergencies that thebudget was exceeded by double. This is most likely because the canhas been kicked down the road formany years by many councils for manyreasons. The end result is that the generalmaintenance was not kept up with andnow it's worse and more painful. Acommonly used 12” drainage pipe, justa few years ago, was $18.25 ft, now it's$60.93 ft. Longview Utility Rate Increases!Continued: Wallin was correct on this one. It’s asteep jump, but we must maintain ourwater, sewer, and stormwater systems.The rate increases are painful, but thecost of doing nothing would be muchworse. The base rate for all the utilitiestogether is going from $161.70 to$170.86 per month for the averagehousehold. There will be consumption and taxeson top of the base rate. We know thishurts a lot of people and we're sorryabout that. As volunteers going to thesemeetings and reporting our findings,these rate increases hurt us asindividuals too. With all of that said, we cannot helpbut wonder how much of the PublicWorks Department's budget wasconverted to the homeless camp overthe past couple of years. We've heard figures ranging from $2to $3.5 million. We may never know theanswer to this question. It is history andit was that history that spurred us intocreating “The Wa tchdog” From here on out we will be lookingforward to the future, bringing real-time information to you so that you canmake informed decisions. That's our mission, keep youinformed of the who, what, when,where, and why so you have theinformation you need to vote yourconscience come election time. On December 14th, the Longview City Council changed an ordinance to allow "Cottage Housing" in theR-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 & TNR residential zones. The presentation made it sound like these will be tiny homecommunities designated to offer young families affordable housing. We can all agree this is needed.The construction work created when building these communities will help. How do we ensure theydon't become slums and shanty towns? It's a big question! Each new community is supposed to havepublic hearings. We'll be following this story closely and reporting to you as soon as we see movement."Cottage Communities" coming to your neighborhood soon!Civic Centerhttps://www.mylongview.com/DocumentCenter/View/117/Zoning-Map-PDFThe Watchdog Page 6 January 2024Nice when they’re new TO THE BOCCWelcomeBoard of County CommissionersArne Mortenson, Rick Dahl and Dennis Weber The Cowlitz County Board of Health (BOH) passed a HealthFreedom Resolution with a slim four to three margin. Aresolution is a statement that does not carry any legalpenalties, in other words, it is not a law and it cannot beenforced as such. The resolution passed by the BOH says that the Countybelieves the citizens have the right to make their owndecisions when it comes to medical procedures, vaccinations,etc. Surprisingly, there were substantial objections to thisresolution. It seemed ironic that the same loud voicescomplaining that the resolution did not have any teeth werefervently against it anyway. One citizen claimed that it’s theCommissioner's primary job to enforce whatever it is that theGovernor decides. We believe this to be blatantly wrong. Webelieve that every level of government, from a city council onup, has a primary responsibility to protect and maintain therights and freedoms of all citizens. The BOH is also discussing the contract for a Health Officerfor our County. Currently, we contract with Clark County anduse their two health officers part-time. The BOH did notrenew the contract. Rather, BOH is considering the possibilityof contracting directly with one of the two individuals fromClark County. The BOH has also considered replacing thementirely with someone new but no applications werereceived.Below is a general job description of what a health officer does: A health officer investigates and inspects reports of casesof disease outbreaks and illnesses that can affect acommunity's health and safety. The health officer's job is toconduct tests, according to health protocols, on suspectedindividuals with an infectious or contagious disease. It sounds like an important job. The lack of a health officerin our County does sound a bit worrisome. The questions thatcome up immediately are: Why don't we have a healthofficer? What are the obstacles to hiring someone directly?Do we need to hire someone or is sharing with anotherCounty sufficient? Why didn't the County receive anyapplications for the position? We look forward to learning theanswers to these questions in the coming meetings. Dahl,Mortenson, and Weber are all above-the-board people andwe have no beef with them regarding truthfulness,transparency, or accountability. We'll keep you posted as welearn more.Administrative ServicesAssessorAuditorBoard of CommissionersBoard of EqualizationBoundary Review BoardBuilding & PlanningClerk of Superior CourtCommunication Center (911)CoronerCorrectionsCowlitz County Sheriff RecordsDistrict CourtElectionsEmergency ManagementFacilities MaintenanceFire MarshalGeographic InformationSystems (GIS)December 2023Page 6 The Watchdog Magazine "The Watchdog" final analysis: As much as we dislike the thought,the utility rates needed to beincreased. Sinkholes and failures are almost adaily occurrence. Overtime pay foremergencies was budgeted, but therewere so many emergencies that thebudget was exceeded by double. This is most likely because the canhas been kicked down the road formany years by many councils for manyreasons. The end result is that the generalmaintenance was not kept up with andnow it's worse and more painful. Acommonly used 12” drainage pipe, justa few years ago, was $18.25 ft, now it's$60.93 ft. Longview Utility Rate Increases!Continued: Wallin was correct on this one. It’s asteep jump, but we must maintain ourwater, sewer, and stormwater systems.The rate increases are painful, but thecost of doing nothing would be muchworse. The base rate for all the utilitiestogether is going from $161.70 to$170.86 per month for the averagehousehold. There will be consumption and taxeson top of the base rate. We know thishurts a lot of people and we're sorryabout that. As volunteers going to thesemeetings and reporting our findings,these rate increases hurt us asindividuals too. With all of that said, we cannot helpbut wonder how much of the PublicWorks Department's budget wasconverted to the homeless camp overthe past couple of years. We've heard figures ranging from $2to $3.5 million. We may never know theanswer to this question. It is history andit was that history that spurred us intocreating “The Wa tchdog” From here on out we will be lookingforward to the future, bringing real-time information to you so that you canmake informed decisions. That's our mission, keep youinformed of the who, what, when,where, and why so you have theinformation you need to vote yourconscience come election time. On December 14th, the Longview City Council changed an ordinance to allow "Cottage Housing" in theR-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 & TNR residential zones. The presentation made it sound like these will be tiny homecommunities designated to offer young families affordable housing. We can all agree this is needed.The construction work created when building these communities will help. How do we ensure theydon't become slums and shanty towns? It's a big question! Each new community is supposed to havepublic hearings. We'll be following this story closely and reporting to you as soon as we see movement."Cottage Communities" coming to your neighborhood soon!Civic Centerhttps://www.mylongview.com/DocumentCenter/View/117/Zoning-Map-PDFThe Watchdog Page 6 January 2024Nice when they’re new

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The Watchdog Page 7January 2024In future issues we’ll explore:Homeless policies and guiding principlesCamp Alabama became Hope Village. It looks cleaner, but the criminals, drug addicts, disabled, andmentally ill have been pushed out and are living on our streets and in our parks. Mostly around theHighlands. Hope Village costs have run into the millions and it houses only 50 people!In this book you’ll find the PRINCIPLES that will guide us as we breakdown, explore,and offer solutions to the homeless camps and their impacts on our community Pick up a copy of the book “The Tragedy of American Compassion” by Marvin Olasky and followalong with us as we report on all facets of the homeless issue in future editionsA book focused on 300 years of American compassionaddressing: fatherlessness, homelessness, mentalillness, alcoholism, and drug addiction.What programs have succeeded in lifting people out ofpoverty? What compassionate band-aid programs havefailed and, in some cases, added to the problems theywere designed to fix?George Santayana said, “Those who do not learn historyare bound to repeat it.” - that’s exactly what’s happeningtoday. We are repeating the same failed policies of thelast 300 years.This book will help us. Together we can find our voice,craft policy ideas, and present them to our local electedofficials. Maybe together we can stop repeating history.Together we can help people discover their ownpersonal dignity and independence instead of creatinglifelong government dependents. BOCC MEETS EVERY TUESDAY 9 AM * COWLITZ COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BLDG * 4TH AVE KELSO The Building and Planning Department had a buildingrequirement above the federal code. Cowlitz County requiredthat foundations be built three feet above the 100-year floodline. FEMA requires flood insurance and that foundations bebuilt one foot above the 100-year flood line for any building ina flood zone. The extra two feet has added extra costs to individuals overthe years for sure. If it's necessary, then fine, but the Buildingand Planning Department could not provide any numbers thatshowed where this rule has been beneficial. It did, however,seem to increase the cost of construction. The Commissionersvoted to reduce the regulation to the Federal minimum of onefoot. This may seem like a small change but we applaud theCounty Commissioners for this move to ease the burden on theprivate-sector pocketbooks. The Building and Planning Advisory Board may see somecontraction soon as well. A proposal is being discussed toreduce the nine-member board to seven. There would be twomembers from each of the three commissioner's districts andone department head. The idea is that a smaller board wouldimprove efficiency, and the department head could offer morecommunication and direction. Many of the different advisoryboards for the County have members who have served fordecades. Whatever happens, we need more good citizensapplying for these positions. The budget is a major discussion right now. On November28th, our County Commissioners unanimously voted down $400K in tax increases. This was not a budget cut, it was anincrease that the Commissioners chose not to burden thetaxpayers with right now. Everything is going up andinflation is taking its toll. Taxes only increase, and the dollaronly shrinks. We're grateful for the Commissioners who keepthis in mind with every vote they take.Healthy WorkforceHealth & Human ServicesHearing ExaminerHuman ResourcesInformation TechnologyJuvenile CourtMuseumNoxious WeedsOffice of Public DefenseParks & RecreationProsecuting AttorneyPublic WorksPurchasing ServicesSheriffSuperior CourtSuperior Court WebsiteTourismTreasurerWSU ExtensionCounty Commissioners Cut Costs & Save People MoneyCutting Regulations & Saving Tax Payer DollarsDecember 2023 Page 7The Watchdog Magazine The Watchdog Page 7January 2024In future issues we’ll explore:Homeless policies and guiding principlesCamp Alabama became Hope Village. It looks cleaner, but the criminals, drug addicts, disabled, andmentally ill have been pushed out and are living on our streets and in our parks. Mostly around theHighlands. Hope Village costs have run into the millions and it houses only 50 people!In this book you’ll find the PRINCIPLES that will guide us as we breakdown, explore,and offer solutions to the homeless camps and their impacts on our community Pick up a copy of the book “The Tragedy of American Compassion” by Marvin Olasky and followalong with us as we report on all facets of the homeless issue in future editionsA book focused on 300 years of American compassionaddressing: fatherlessness, homelessness, mentalillness, alcoholism, and drug addiction.What programs have succeeded in lifting people out ofpoverty? What compassionate band-aid programs havefailed and, in some cases, added to the problems theywere designed to fix?George Santayana said, “Those who do not learn historyare bound to repeat it.” - that’s exactly what’s happeningtoday. We are repeating the same failed policies of thelast 300 years.This book will help us. Together we can find our voice,craft policy ideas, and present them to our local electedofficials. Maybe together we can stop repeating history.Together we can help people discover their ownpersonal dignity and independence instead of creatinglifelong government dependents.

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Page 8The Watchdog Once Mr. Keele raised the necessary $500,000 neededto refurbish the fields, the private contractors got thejob done in just six months. They put forth extraordinaryefforts. Many donated their time and money. We are luckyto have so many generous contractors and professionalsin our area. If you've worked on a job site you know it's all in thesetup. Once you've got everything in place the actual jobgoes quickly. The team Mr. Keele assembled is to berespected, they got the job done and the results wereimpressive. What he's asking for now is the city's help to build thebatting cages for $160,000. That's a lot of money, nodoubt. Our first impression is that the kids would benefit fromthem, and the lasting skills they'll learn are incalculable. Council Member Jim Hill spoke several times. If whathe states is true – we have no reason to doubt his word -the community as a whole would benefit and be able torecoup the costs over time. “T he Wa tchdog” believes Mr. Hill when he said thebatting cages would make Tam O'Shanter a year-roundfacility. It would be better and more functional for manydecades. He mentioned that the tournaments at Tam O'Shanterare some of the largest economic drivers for the city.They pull teams as far away as Canada and California.“T he Wa tchdog” would like to see some hard data onthose figures. The council seems to be headed in thatdirection as well as they have scheduled a workshop toexplore the batting cages, the costs, and the economicbenefits to the community during the January 16thmeeting. We hope to see you there. The Kelso City Council meets at 6 pm on the first andthird Tuesday of each month. Kelso’s unsung hero!Kelso’s unsung hero! We would like to introduce you to one of Kelso's veryown unsung heroes. This man has had a positive influenceon kids for over three decades. His name is Travis Keele,President of Kelso's Babe Ruth program. He has coachedat Tam O'Shanter Park for 29 years. He spoke at the KelsoCity Council meeting on December 19th. During his comments, he directed our attentiontoward several audience members and said they now playcollege ball. He stated, “That's what we want for ourcommunity; kids working hard. Give them a place to work,make Kelso proud, then come home and give back to theircommunity.” “T he Wa tchdog” loves that sentiment. Teaching kidsthe value of hard work will have a lasting effect on manygenerations of Hilanders. Mr. Keele was the driving force behind therefurbishment of the turf fields. He worked diligently withboth the city and private entities. He brought themtogether and forged a path forward. Great things can happen when the citizens and thegovernment work together without hidden agendas andmanipulation. Sometimes the best thing our electedofficials can do is cut the red tape, get out of the way andlet us get on with it. Getting the government out of the way so we can takecare of business is an important function of our electedofficials too. They did it for the ball fields, they may haveto do it for the batting cages. We found the following testimony interesting andinformative. Mr Keele discusses the need for thebatting cages and council members HarveyKeenan and Jim Hill discuss the economics:January 2024https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewI_Ltk6MI0 Congratulations to the 61% of the voters who saw through the smoke &mirrors that were supposed to be the new so-called Parks District!The New Parks District We'd like to congratulate Longview voters for being wise enough tovote down the “New Park District” by a margin of 61% to 39%. Even though the Parks District is $16 million behind in deferredmaintenance, this new tax was not about keeping Lake Sacajaweapristine. It was about instituting a back door way to raise taxes thatcould easily be shifted from Parks to the General Fund by a vote of theCity Council. The soon-to-be old City Council kept saying it was a levy. They said thelevy mandated that the funds must be utilized strictly for Parks, butthat is untrue. It was a tax, not a levy. Taxes can be diverted to theGeneral Fund and spent elsewhere. This kind of sneaky through-the-back-door stuff is precisely why people do not trust their government.The current Longview City Manager, Kris “Top Down” Swanson, wasoverheard saying that this citizen's voting down this new tax was“disgusting!”Click here to find out why people sayKris “Top Down Swanson”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF4pbxcNzc0December 2023Page 8 The Watchdog Magazine Page 8The Watchdog Once Mr. Keele raised the necessary $500,000 neededto refurbish the fields, the private contractors got thejob done in just six months. They put forth extraordinaryefforts. Many donated their time and money. We are luckyto have so many generous contractors and professionalsin our area. If you've worked on a job site you know it's all in thesetup. Once you've got everything in place the actual jobgoes quickly. The team Mr. Keele assembled is to berespected, they got the job done and the results wereimpressive. What he's asking for now is the city's help to build thebatting cages for $160,000. That's a lot of money, nodoubt. Our first impression is that the kids would benefit fromthem, and the lasting skills they'll learn are incalculable. Council Member Jim Hill spoke several times. If whathe states is true – we have no reason to doubt his word -the community as a whole would benefit and be able torecoup the costs over time. “T he Wa tchdog” believes Mr. Hill when he said thebatting cages would make Tam O'Shanter a year-roundfacility. It would be better and more functional for manydecades. He mentioned that the tournaments at Tam O'Shanterare some of the largest economic drivers for the city.They pull teams as far away as Canada and California.“T he Wa tchdog” would like to see some hard data onthose figures. The council seems to be headed in thatdirection as well as they have scheduled a workshop toexplore the batting cages, the costs, and the economicbenefits to the community during the January 16thmeeting. We hope to see you there. The Kelso City Council meets at 6 pm on the first andthird Tuesday of each month. Kelso’s unsung hero!Kelso’s unsung hero! We would like to introduce you to one of Kelso's veryown unsung heroes. This man has had a positive influenceon kids for over three decades. His name is Travis Keele,President of Kelso's Babe Ruth program. He has coachedat Tam O'Shanter Park for 29 years. He spoke at the KelsoCity Council meeting on December 19th. During his comments, he directed our attentiontoward several audience members and said they now playcollege ball. He stated, “That's what we want for ourcommunity; kids working hard. Give them a place to work,make Kelso proud, then come home and give back to theircommunity.” “T he Wa tchdog” loves that sentiment. Teaching kidsthe value of hard work will have a lasting effect on manygenerations of Hilanders. Mr. Keele was the driving force behind therefurbishment of the turf fields. He worked diligently withboth the city and private entities. He brought themtogether and forged a path forward. Great things can happen when the citizens and thegovernment work together without hidden agendas andmanipulation. Sometimes the best thing our electedofficials can do is cut the red tape, get out of the way andlet us get on with it. Getting the government out of the way so we can takecare of business is an important function of our electedofficials too. They did it for the ball fields, they may haveto do it for the batting cages. We found the following testimony interesting andinformative. Mr Keele discusses the need for thebatting cages and council members HarveyKeenan and Jim Hill discuss the economics:January 2024https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewI_Ltk6MI0

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Massive Mystery WarehouseMassive Mystery WarehouseLOCATION DESCRIPTION+ Immediate proximity & accessibility to I-5 on/off ramps + Strong Labor Market compared to other proposeddevelopments in the I-5 Corridor + City of Kelso is business friendly + 72,000+ vehicles per day on I-5 + Cities within estimated 11-hour drive time: SF Bay Area,Sacramento, Reno, Boise, Seattle, Vancouver BCOVERVIEW+ Currently Under Construction+ 1.185 M SF+ 219 Dock Doors+ Clear Height: 40’+ Building Depth: 650’ + 135’ Truck Court Kelso has a massive opportunity, when we say massive, we mean massive. Have you seen the construction going onat Exit 36? The 1.185 million sq ft warehouse called the Mid I-5 Industrial Park is touted to be one of the largestindustrial projects in the Pacific Northwest. It is being built in Kelso as we speak, unfortunately, it doesn't have a tenant yet. We wonder how it will increaseprosperity and raise the quality of life for those living in Kelso and the surrounding areas. Only time will tell this tale. Many of our politicians say these great wonderful things, but when everything is said and done we find out they'vegiven away the farm and the community doesn't see much benefit. The area off Exit 36 that everyone calls the Longview Wye, is actually Kelso. For many years the locals havespeculated on what will ultimately be built there. Many said Costco, but what about Amazon or even an automotivesupermall? For years nothing has been done. Finally, something is being done, but can our local politicians take fulladvantage of the opportunity? This is a prime location, being immediately adjacent to I-5. These big warehouses are becoming more and more fully automated. Outside managers come in to oversee theoperations and hire a few local people to do the labor. We hope they hire lots of local people. Everything now is purespeculation, we won't know anything until we know who’s going in there. It looks as if CBRE is willing to sell or rent the facilities to the highest bidder. On the CBRE website, they say they area worldwide commercial real estate services and investment company. They have clients in 100+ countries and theyserve over 95% of the Fortune 100 companies. We wonder if they’d set up a tour for the general public to see the workgoing on over there?Page 9The Watchdog The Details:https://www.trammellcrow.com/newsroom/trammell-crow-company-breaks-ground-on-largest-speculative-development-in-pacific-northwestKelso’sKelso’sJanuary 2024 GET STUFFED AT STUFFY'S!Stuffy's II Restaurant, Longview Stuffy’s II was back incourt on Friday, November17th. They are still fightingthe almost one milliondollars in fines the WAState Department of Laborand Industries leveledagainst them. These fines date to theoperation of therestaurant during theGovernor's mandatedCOVID-19 shutdown. Stuffy’s served customersindoors after the Statedemanded they close. Thehearing also involved aState appeal of Stuffy’sprevious win in court. Thatprevious case repealed thefines that had beenassessed to Stuffy’s fornot forcing theiremployees or customersto wear masks. The state now is askingfor a reconsiderationbecause they believe thosefines should stand. Stuffy’sattorney argued that theprevious ruling was correctand the appeal to reinstatethe masking fines shouldbe denied. The state could notdemonstrate that Stuffy’sdid any harm by opening.No evidence waspresented to show howStuffy’s harmed anyone orthe State in any way. Allthe Attorney General'sOffice presented werevague descriptions ofCOVID-19 being dangerous. This does not meet theburden of evidence toprove that Stuffy’s is guiltyof inflicting any harm,financial or otherwise.Stuffy’s attorney arguedthat the million dollars infines violates theConstitutional protectionswe have against excessivefines. The State thought thatStuffy’s should not beable to argueConstitutionalprotections because thedispute is a civil case. Inour view, the Federal andState Constitutionsalways apply, whether thecase is civil or criminal. The judge said shewould have a ruling onthe two cases shortlyafter Thanksgiving. Thiscould be a major turningpoint in the excesses ofgovernment during theCOVID-19 epidemic of theyears 2020 and 2021. We pray the judge iswise and individualfreedom and personalliberty win. Stuffy's IIRestaurant is on the frontlines fighting this battlefor all of us. We encourage you andall your family and friendsto patronize and supportStuffy's on Ocean BeachHighway in Longview andGators Guns on SouthPacific in Kelso as theyfight for all of us.December 2023 Page 9The Watchdog MagazineFreedom is at stake Massive Mystery WarehouseMassive Mystery WarehouseLOCATION DESCRIPTION+ Immediate proximity & accessibility to I-5 on/off ramps + Strong Labor Market compared to other proposeddevelopments in the I-5 Corridor + City of Kelso is business friendly + 72,000+ vehicles per day on I-5 + Cities within estimated 11-hour drive time: SF Bay Area,Sacramento, Reno, Boise, Seattle, Vancouver BCOVERVIEW+ Currently Under Construction+ 1.185 M SF+ 219 Dock Doors+ Clear Height: 40’+ Building Depth: 650’ + 135’ Truck Court Kelso has a massive opportunity, when we say massive, we mean massive. Have you seen the construction going onat Exit 36? The 1.185 million sq ft warehouse called the Mid I-5 Industrial Park is touted to be one of the largestindustrial projects in the Pacific Northwest. It is being built in Kelso as we speak, unfortunately, it doesn't have a tenant yet. We wonder how it will increaseprosperity and raise the quality of life for those living in Kelso and the surrounding areas. Only time will tell this tale. Many of our politicians say these great wonderful things, but when everything is said and done we find out they'vegiven away the farm and the community doesn't see much benefit. The area off Exit 36 that everyone calls the Longview Wye, is actually Kelso. For many years the locals havespeculated on what will ultimately be built there. Many said Costco, but what about Amazon or even an automotivesupermall? For years nothing has been done. Finally, something is being done, but can our local politicians take fulladvantage of the opportunity? This is a prime location, being immediately adjacent to I-5. These big warehouses are becoming more and more fully automated. Outside managers come in to oversee theoperations and hire a few local people to do the labor. We hope they hire lots of local people. Everything now is purespeculation, we won't know anything until we know who’s going in there. It looks as if CBRE is willing to sell or rent the facilities to the highest bidder. On the CBRE website, they say they area worldwide commercial real estate services and investment company. They have clients in 100+ countries and theyserve over 95% of the Fortune 100 companies. We wonder if they’d set up a tour for the general public to see the workgoing on over there?Page 9The Watchdog The Details:https://www.trammellcrow.com/newsroom/trammell-crow-company-breaks-ground-on-largest-speculative-development-in-pacific-northwestKelso’sKelso’sJanuary 2024

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https://axecutioner.comPage 10The Watchdog There‘s not a lot going on with the Castle Rock City Council right now. We know how it goes. Small town, theholidays, and all that jazz. That will change now that the new year has ticked over. Nonetheless ... Castle Rock always provides plenty of material to write about One thing that caught our eye as we came off Exit 49 was a sign for Axe Throwing. This is a newer pastime thatseems interesting. Our first thoughts were that it was glorified darts. But after initial impressions wore off, and westarted to research it, boy were we wrong.Axe throwing is a really challenging and popular sport. They even have their own US Open. Move over tennis, thenew open is Axe. Well, okay, that's a little over the top. But in all reality, it's not just a lumberjack sport anymore.It's all over the world with leagues and competitions throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,Poland, and the UK. Will it ever make its way into the Olympics? We won't hold our breath, but it's possible. The skillon display as the competitors throw and hit their targets is astonishing and worthy of praise. We skimmed throughsome YouTube videos and the throws, one spin, two spin, some even do tricks and stuff. It’s impressive. There are two in our area. Axecutioner in Longview and Castle Rock Axe House in the old Mt. St. Helen's Cinadomein Castle Rock. We still miss those rumble seats. But anyway, if you’re interested in learning more about the axe-throwing in our area just click on their website links below. They're hosting competitions, ½ price family days, datenights, parties, birthdays, and more. Looks challenging and fun - are you up for it?Axe Throwing In Castle Rock, Washingtonhttps://castlerockaxehouse.com INDOOR COMING SOONAxe Throwing In Longview, Washingtonwww.CastleRockBuildingSupply.comJanuary 2024 Longview City CouncilSHENANIGANS The Longview City Council Meeting onTuesday, November 14, 2023, wasinteresting, to say the least. Wallin lookedstoic as he walked into the room at 5:58 P.M.The meeting started promptly at 6:00 PM.All City Council members were presentexcept Ortiz. Our ears instantly perked up when weheard “Housing Readiness Micro CommunityExperiment.” Hmmm, is that how they say“pallet homes” without saying “pallethomes?” The word “experiment” at the end seemedinteresting too. Words have meaning,especially when it comes to government.That one very carefully placed word makesus wonder; what kind of experiment? Howlong is this experiment supposed to last?How will it be paid for? How do we measureprogress, and how do we know when theexperiment is completed? Outgoing City Councilman Mike Wallinstuck it to the good folks of Longview. Well,not the 4,111 who voted for him, his angerwas directed at the other 33,601 people whodidn't vote for him. Ruth Kendall helped him. Why not?Neither of them fear the voters anymore. Fornow, there's nothing more the voters can do.The election is over. Wallin's on his way out;unfortunately, since she won, Kendall's seatis safe for four more years. December 2023Page 10 The Watchdog Magazine https://axecutioner.comPage 10The Watchdog There‘s not a lot going on with the Castle Rock City Council right now. We know how it goes. Small town, theholidays, and all that jazz. That will change now that the new year has ticked over. Nonetheless ... Castle Rock always provides plenty of material to write about One thing that caught our eye as we came off Exit 49 was a sign for Axe Throwing. This is a newer pastime thatseems interesting. Our first thoughts were that it was glorified darts. But after initial impressions wore off, and westarted to research it, boy were we wrong.Axe throwing is a really challenging and popular sport. They even have their own US Open. Move over tennis, thenew open is Axe. Well, okay, that's a little over the top. But in all reality, it's not just a lumberjack sport anymore.It's all over the world with leagues and competitions throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,Poland, and the UK. Will it ever make its way into the Olympics? We won't hold our breath, but it's possible. The skillon display as the competitors throw and hit their targets is astonishing and worthy of praise. We skimmed throughsome YouTube videos and the throws, one spin, two spin, some even do tricks and stuff. It’s impressive. There are two in our area. Axecutioner in Longview and Castle Rock Axe House in the old Mt. St. Helen's Cinadomein Castle Rock. We still miss those rumble seats. But anyway, if you’re interested in learning more about the axe-throwing in our area just click on their website links below. They're hosting competitions, ½ price family days, datenights, parties, birthdays, and more. Looks challenging and fun - are you up for it?Axe Throwing In Castle Rock, Washingtonhttps://castlerockaxehouse.com INDOOR COMING SOONAxe Throwing In Longview, Washingtonwww.CastleRockBuildingSupply.comJanuary 2024

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Page 11The Watchdog Finn Character (lack of?) EXPOSED!Finn Character (lack of?) EXPOSED!January 2024 Seventy local citizens attended theswearing-in of Woodland’s newlyelected mayor, Todd Dinehart, andcity council member, Gabe Hustonon Thursday, December 21st. There was standing room only inthe council chambers for this 6 pmevent. The overflow watched through thewindows in the foyer, where LakesideSweets served ice cream andchocolates for the celebration. When Dinehart was unable tosecure a date from city hall for theswearing-in, he proactively looked upthe RCW regarding the matter,contacted Superior Court JudgeBashor, who was agreeable tofacilitate the taking of oaths, and thedate was set. In addition to Honorable Gary Bashor,other elected officials in attendancewere County Commissioner, ArneMortensen, and two city councilmembers: JJ Burke, and MelissaDoughty. Others notably presentinclude Police Chief Kelly, CityAdministrator Boyce, and CommunityDirector Goddard. It is also notablethat four sitting council members wereabsent.Woodland’s new mayor may have achallenging transition into his new role,as the outgoing mayor has been lessthan amicable. He refused to meet with Mr. Dinehartfor a smooth passing of the baton,which is in the best interest of cityemployees and citizens. Facing resistance Mayor ToddDinehart will have an opportunity fromhis first days in office to showWoodland his competency to facechallenges and his spirit of overcomingadversity, which are two importantqualities in a good leader.Honorable Gary Bashor swearsin Mayor-elect Todd Dinehart instanding room only publicceremony!In this video, Finn clearly shows that the experts suggesting the contract changes were theemployees themselves.What do you think? Did he justimplicate them? Woodland’s ex-mayor, Will Finn fired several city employees on his way out the door. He notified the city counciland other city and remaining city administrators in an email dated 12-29-2023. Details are sketchy. You may recall that he has been trying and finally succeeded in getting the city council to pass a 6-monthseverance package for certain employees if they were fired without cause. Someone started rumors that Dinehartwould be firing these employees. Yet it was Finn who after creating and promoting the “Golden Parachute” pulledthe ripcord at the 11th hour allowing these employees to get free money from the City of Woodland. Finn’s stunt left Woodland with no warning starting the new year short two key employees. We should also notethat none of these high-paid employees live in Woodland. This does not pass the smell test – we could be talking about a whole variety of questionableactions and decisions both by Finn and the others who got this free money “The Watchdog” suspects this was a coordinated effort on the part of the employees and Finn. We hope that thereare not any more bad apples in the barrel – we’ll find out when and if the investigations get underway!The February Watchdog will have the details ~ Subscribe NOW so you do not miss it! There is hopefor WoodlandThere is hopefor Woodlandhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT86nPG9Bug 1) Salvation Army gave its presentation2) Constituent Comments (more on this later)3) The three newly-elected, soon-to-be council members -- Halverson,Young, and LaFave -- read their letter for the record. They asked the sittingCity Council to extend the Salvation Army Contract for Hope Village for 6months so they could evaluate it after they were sworn in. This soundsreasonable. Why not have a peaceful transfer of power?4) Constituent Comments end5) Kendall put forth an amendment to change the contract terminationclause from no cause with (30) days’ written notice to cause with (90) days'written notice. This is where Kendall helped Wallin stick it to the residents ofLongview. For this stunt, “The Watchdog ” awards Kendall her very ownMadoff Award with three Bernies.6) Wallin then put forth an amendment to change the wording fromNovember 15, 2024, to November 15, 2025. Wallin’s amendment made it atwo-year contract rather than the previously proposed and agreed uponone-year. This was where he really showed his anger towards the 33,601Longview residents who didn't vote for him. For this stunt, “The Watchdog ”awards Wallin a well-deserved Madoff Award with three Bernies.7) Both amendments were seconded, voted on, and passed with the “ayeshave it.” Spencer Boudreau was the only Council Member to say “nay!”Longview City Council SHENANIGANS Here’s how it all went down:Wallin & Kendall in their own words:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY5Ga6ywbyEDecember 2023 Page 11The Watchdog Magazine Page 11The Watchdog Finn Character (lack of?) EXPOSED!Finn Character (lack of?) EXPOSED!January 2024 Seventy local citizens attended theswearing-in of Woodland’s newlyelected mayor, Todd Dinehart, andcity council member, Gabe Hustonon Thursday, December 21st. There was standing room only inthe council chambers for this 6 pmevent. The overflow watched through thewindows in the foyer, where LakesideSweets served ice cream andchocolates for the celebration. When Dinehart was unable tosecure a date from city hall for theswearing-in, he proactively looked upthe RCW regarding the matter,contacted Superior Court JudgeBashor, who was agreeable tofacilitate the taking of oaths, and thedate was set. In addition to Honorable Gary Bashor,other elected officials in attendancewere County Commissioner, ArneMortensen, and two city councilmembers: JJ Burke, and MelissaDoughty. Others notably presentinclude Police Chief Kelly, CityAdministrator Boyce, and CommunityDirector Goddard. It is also notablethat four sitting council members wereabsent.Woodland’s new mayor may have achallenging transition into his new role,as the outgoing mayor has been lessthan amicable. He refused to meet with Mr. Dinehartfor a smooth passing of the baton,which is in the best interest of cityemployees and citizens. Facing resistance Mayor ToddDinehart will have an opportunity fromhis first days in office to showWoodland his competency to facechallenges and his spirit of overcomingadversity, which are two importantqualities in a good leader.Honorable Gary Bashor swearsin Mayor-elect Todd Dinehart instanding room only publicceremony!In this video, Finn clearly shows that the experts suggesting the contract changes were theemployees themselves.What do you think? Did he justimplicate them? Woodland’s ex-mayor, Will Finn fired several city employees on his way out the door. He notified the city counciland other city and remaining city administrators in an email dated 12-29-2023. Details are sketchy. You may recall that he has been trying and finally succeeded in getting the city council to pass a 6-monthseverance package for certain employees if they were fired without cause. Someone started rumors that Dinehartwould be firing these employees. Yet it was Finn who after creating and promoting the “Golden Parachute” pulledthe ripcord at the 11th hour allowing these employees to get free money from the City of Woodland. Finn’s stunt left Woodland with no warning starting the new year short two key employees. We should also notethat none of these high-paid employees live in Woodland. This does not pass the smell test – we could be talking about a whole variety of questionableactions and decisions both by Finn and the others who got this free money “The Watchdog” suspects this was a coordinated effort on the part of the employees and Finn. We hope that thereare not any more bad apples in the barrel – we’ll find out when and if the investigations get underway!The February Watchdog will have the details ~ Subscribe NOW so you do not miss it! There is hopefor WoodlandThere is hopefor Woodlandhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT86nPG9Bug

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Page 12The WatchdogSchool Levy TimeFebruary 13, 2024 Special ElectionBallots Mailed: January 26, 2024Participating Jurisdictions: Longview SchoolDistrict No. 122, Toutle Lake School District No.130, Castle Rock School District No. 401,Woodland School District No. 404, Kelso SchoolDistrict No. 458 Why do they run school levies in February? What awaste of money, especially when we just had an electionin November. Two elections in three months, with theholidays in between, that's ridiculous. It does not make sense if you look at it from anexpenditure standpoint. But it makes perfect sense ifyou look at it from a political strategic standpoint. A couple of decades ago the voters approved aconstitutional amendment allowing levys to passwith a simple majority rather than asupermajority. This was a game-changer. Before this, a levy needed 60 percent of thevote to pass. Now, after the change, the bar hasbeen lowered and a simple majority is sufficient. Sadly they lowered the bar of expectations forour kids too. In Oregon, they don’t even need toread to graduate. We pray people becomeinvolved and Washinton doesn’t get that bad.We’re close, but not there yet.How does your school stack up?Simple majority50 percent + 1 = winJanuary 2024 LONGVIEW SHENANIGAN’S CONTINUED: “The Watchdog ” wants it to be knownthat we respect the Salvation Army and thework they're doing. Our beef is not withthem; our beef is with the Longview CityCouncil which is not acting in atransparent, accountable, or honorablefashion. The Council's actions seem sneakyand underhanded. Most of the voters mustbe as tired of these games as we are. Right now, constituent comments aremeaningless. It’s clear that the City Councilmembers already have their minds madeup before the meetings begin. There is noway that these amendments by Wallin andKendall were spur-of-the-moment. They represented a well-thought-out,coordinated attack on the residents ofLongview. Kendall & Wallin make a goodpair, don't they? Click on the link below to hear Mr. Wallin& Ms. Kendall in their own words. Isn’t that video something? We couldn’tbelieve our ears when Ms. Kendall said: “Idid vet this change with the Salvation Armyboth locally, and it's been vetted at thestate level, and they are okay with thatwording.” ~ sounds like a well-plannedattack against the new incoming council,unfortunately, the residents of Longvieware the ones getting stuck with the bill. Mr. Boudreau discussed Mr. Wallin'samendment with him and Wallin laughedabout “not being here when you do that!” -- that’s pretty bad, stick the residents with atwo-year contract then laugh about notbeing here to address the ramificationsthat come with that change. These two reasons are why both Wallin &Kendall are now the proud recipients ofThe Watchdog’s Madoff Award We saw their stunt as a clear,coordinated attack on the incoming CityCouncil members. Wallin called them thetrio, but whatever the names, the mostunfortunate victims -- not of names butrather of policy -- are the 37,712 residentsliving in Longview and the 113,226 county-wide residents affected by Longview’spolicies. Longview is the biggest city in CowlitzCounty, what they do spills over ontoeveryone else. We believe Kendall andWallin planned this long before theconstituents were allowed their turn tospeak. Every single step of the way thishomeless camp has been bungled,boggled, and implemented quickly in thedark. Such tactics are just plain wrong.This is another illustration of the reasonswhy people have lost faith in theirgovernment. Listen to Representative Joel McEntirebelow as he explains how the LongviewCity Council bypassed our own dulyelected representatives and enlistedSenator Ann Rivers to do their bidding. Senator Ann Rivers is a duly electedofficial for Clark County but she alsoworks as an assistant manager for the Cityof Longview. She tried to secure funds,that we believe were to be for thehomeless camp, for the City of Longviewin a state legislative bill. When it came tolight what she was doing, mysteriously,the request for money disappeared. Itseems highly unethical for a sittingSenator to advocate for her employerrather than the constituents she waselected to represent.https://www.facebook.com/100025642530510/videos/720981962850745/Representative Joel McEntire tells his side of the storyDecember 2023Page 12 The Watchdog Magazine Page 12The WatchdogSchool Levy TimeFebruary 13, 2024 Special ElectionBallots Mailed: January 26, 2024Participating Jurisdictions: Longview SchoolDistrict No. 122, Toutle Lake School District No.130, Castle Rock School District No. 401,Woodland School District No. 404, Kelso SchoolDistrict No. 458 Why do they run school levies in February? What awaste of money, especially when we just had an electionin November. Two elections in three months, with theholidays in between, that's ridiculous. It does not make sense if you look at it from anexpenditure standpoint. But it makes perfect sense ifyou look at it from a political strategic standpoint. A couple of decades ago the voters approved aconstitutional amendment allowing levys to passwith a simple majority rather than asupermajority. This was a game-changer. Before this, a levy needed 60 percent of thevote to pass. Now, after the change, the bar hasbeen lowered and a simple majority is sufficient. Sadly they lowered the bar of expectations forour kids too. In Oregon, they don’t even need toread to graduate. We pray people becomeinvolved and Washinton doesn’t get that bad.We’re close, but not there yet.How does your school stack up?Simple majority50 percent + 1 = winJanuary 2024

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Running these tax levies in the off-season whenpeople are burnt out and the turnout is extremely low …it's a genius political strategy, they mobilize their base,and Shazaam we have a new tax. With that said, “T he Wa tchdog” isn't anti-tax. That isnot a reasonable or realistic approach to solvingproblems. What we advocate for is our tax dollars beingspent wisely with truth, transparency, and accountability. We know the government will always say they needmore money, that's a given. The real question eachtaxpayer needs to ask themselves is: Are our schoolofficials supplying optimal results in return for our taxdollars? Are they worthy of more money? Only you cananswer those questions for yourself. We’ve posted here your individual school district'sofficial report card directly from the Washington Office ofSuperintendent of Public Instruction or OSPI for short. Schools Continued:This is critical information you need tomake an informed voting decision Check out these links for more informationhttps://www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/3047/2024-February-SpecialRegistration DeadlinesMonday, February 5Online and mailed voter registrations must bereceived by 5 p.m. on February 5, 2024.February 6 - February 13Voters can register or update their address inperson at the Cowlitz County Elections Office by 8p.m. Election DayThe WatchdogPage 13January 2024 SheeshFOUR PAGES OF LONGVIEW’S SHENANIGANS:There were a lot ofconstituent comments. Theyseemed to be evenly splitbetween for and against thecontinuation of the one-yearcontract for Hope Village –which is now a two-yearcontract thanks to Wallin! One constituent suggestedthat they set aside the first10 minutes of every meetingfor Council members to givefeedback on comments fromthe previous meeting. That's agreat idea! We would like toadd one more thing. We'd likeall significant votes to becarried over for at least onemeeting in order that theCouncil has time to reflect onwhat their constituents reallywant and need. The residentsof Longview deserve to havetheir suggestions andconcerns heard andanswered. The Council could discussits constituent comments andgive us feedback. We like particulars, tell uswhy they need more time, ortell us why they must rejectour suggestions, or perhapswhen they’ll be able toimplement suggestions andaddress concerns. Moredialog is good; it's what wepromote. We hope that thenew City Council will enactsuch reforms. Two other constituentsreally stood out for theircomments. One gentlemanspoke about his brother whohad been homeless for 11years. Sadly, the constituentsaid that his brother hadpassed away in hospice. Itsounds like a horriblesituation; we're sorry for hisfamily's suffering. This constituent went waytoo far though when hesuggested that people livingin the Highlands need to stopcomplaining. He even impliedthat people living in theHighlands are cold, callous,and uncaring. He said theyneed to learn what it feelslike to be homeless. There aren’t any easyanswers, but degrading thepeople who live in theHighlands was out of line. Itwas mean and inappropriate! Hope Village can only house50 people. An untold numberof criminals, drug-addicted,disabled and mentally ill peoplewere pushed out of the camp.They now live on the streetsaround the Highlands and thecity center. Every day the good people inthe Highlands must deal withneedles and garbage. They’redoing their best to cope withthe high crime rate and theinsecurity of having criminalsnearby. Even though our police areworking overtime night and dayto help them, it’s too dangerousfor their kids simply to gooutside to play. Another constituent whoreally stood out was a lady wholives in the Highlands. Herremarks were in response tothe gentleman we mentionedearlier. Her words werepowerful and moving as shespoke about her former life as ahomeless person. She didreceive some help, but shedidn’t become a permanentward of the state. She workedhard, did smart things with hermoney, and carved out adecent life for herself. This isexactly as it should be. She is ashining example of how thesystem should work. It took alot of guts for her to stepforward and tell her story. Wecommend her. There are a few weeks leftbefore the new City CouncilMember-elects will be sworn in.We cringe at the thought of thedamage the current CityCouncil might do before its exit.Please attend Council meetingseither in person or via Zoom.JOIN THE FUNCity of Longview1525 BroadwayLongview, WA 98632Thurs Dec 7thspecial meeting5 PMThurs Dec 14th 6PMSee you at the meetings!December 2023Page 13The Watchdog Magazine Running these tax levies in the off-season whenpeople are burnt out and the turnout is extremely low …it's a genius political strategy, they mobilize their base,and Shazaam we have a new tax. With that said, “T he Wa tchdog” isn't anti-tax. That isnot a reasonable or realistic approach to solvingproblems. What we advocate for is our tax dollars beingspent wisely with truth, transparency, and accountability. We know the government will always say they needmore money, that's a given. The real question eachtaxpayer needs to ask themselves is: Are our schoolofficials supplying optimal results in return for our taxdollars? Are they worthy of more money? Only you cananswer those questions for yourself. We’ve posted here your individual school district'sofficial report card directly from the Washington Office ofSuperintendent of Public Instruction or OSPI for short. Schools Continued:This is critical information you need tomake an informed voting decision Check out these links for more informationhttps://www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/3047/2024-February-SpecialRegistration DeadlinesMonday, February 5Online and mailed voter registrations must bereceived by 5 p.m. on February 5, 2024.February 6 - February 13Voters can register or update their address inperson at the Cowlitz County Elections Office by 8p.m. Election DayThe WatchdogPage 13January 2024

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Schools Continued:Update on Superintendent searchUnfortunately, the update is ... there isn’t an update!When we spoke with the individual five local school districtslast month they all said they would post their updates ontheir website. Perhaps the holidays have slowed thingsdown. Whatever the excuse, this is a major story that willhave a greater impact on our kids than the Levys.As of this printing, there isn’t anything new to report.In December’s issue of “T he Wa tchdog” you learned thatthere are five local superintendents in our immediate vicinityretiring this year. These districts are Longview, Woodland, Kalama, Toutle, andRidgefield. The retiring superintendent’s last day will be afterthe 23–24 school year ends. Their successor will need to be inplace by the beginning of July 2024. The five districts all said they hope to have qualifiedapplicants ready for interviewing by February of this yearhttps://www.longviewschools.comhttps://www.toutlesd.orghttps://www.kalamaschools.orghttps://www.woodlandschools.orghttps://www.ridgefieldsd.orgKeep track of your school district here. Once the superintendent story starts moving it will move fast! The WatchdogPage 14 January 2024 Invasion of the Roundabouts ~ KelsoThere’s far too much traffic going throughthat stretch of road for traffic circles. Justdown from Kelso High School too. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Construction, how obnoxious it will backup the alternative routes from all sides formiles? Sounds like a nightmare!HTTPS://ALLENSTREETSTUDY.INFOCOMMUNITY.ORG/?MIBEXTID=ZXZ2CZPH Have you seen the proposedroundabout system the City ofKelso is talking about putting in atthe Allen Street / I-5 intersection? Three roundabouts in that littlespace. Sounds like a great bigheadache. Roundabouts aren't verypopular, they're confusing andmessy to maneuver. Three of them at the freeway exitand entrance, plus traffic from thehigh school. Wow, this has bigpotential to become a boondoggleand quick. It seems like the powers that bealways want to push theseroundabouts on us. Seems like mostpeople hate them. You can read more about it righthere on the Allen Street CorridorTransportation Study website.Just click on the link at the bottomof the page. Have your comments andconcerns into them by Monday,December 18th if you want yourvoice to be heard. They have three options, butlooks like they're favoring thethree roundabouts. Synchronizingthe lights so that more cars canget through seems like it would bea much easier and cost-effectiveroute.Anybody that is anti-roundabout, Iquestion their driving skills. This feelslike one of those solutions that needs tohappen when the population doesn'tknow what's good for them.~ random quotes off the internetregarding the projectAllen StI-5December 2023Page 14 The Watchdog MagazineRespond by Dec 18th Schools Continued:Update on Superintendent searchUnfortunately, the update is ... there isn’t an update!When we spoke with the individual five local school districtslast month they all said they would post their updates ontheir website. Perhaps the holidays have slowed thingsdown. Whatever the excuse, this is a major story that willhave a greater impact on our kids than the Levys.As of this printing, there isn’t anything new to report.In December’s issue of “T he Wa tchdog” you learned thatthere are five local superintendents in our immediate vicinityretiring this year. These districts are Longview, Woodland, Kalama, Toutle, andRidgefield. The retiring superintendent’s last day will be afterthe 23–24 school year ends. Their successor will need to be inplace by the beginning of July 2024. The five districts all said they hope to have qualifiedapplicants ready for interviewing by February of this yearhttps://www.longviewschools.comhttps://www.toutlesd.orghttps://www.kalamaschools.orghttps://www.woodlandschools.orghttps://www.ridgefieldsd.orgKeep track of your school district here. Once the superintendent story starts moving it will move fast! The WatchdogPage 14 January 2024

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Cowlitz County Concerned CitizensAn informative publication for the people, by the peopleCounty, Longview, K elso, Castle Rock, Toutle, Woodland & KalamaFIGHTING FORFIGHTING FORFREEDOMFREEDOM The presentations have beeninformative. A bit painful at timeswatching the guy promote somethingso unpopular with the public. Wealmost felt sorry for him. That thoughtfaded quickly when we thought of themoney, time, and aggravation about tobe bestowed upon us. The Federal and State mandates willmake changes to the I-5 entrance andexit ramps a nightmare no matter howthey stack it. Early in 2024, they plan to presentto the city council draft studies of thepossible solutions. It looks to us like the roundaboutsare a foregone conclusion, they justdon’t want to say it out loud. We’llhave to wait and see.Here is WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW! The first step is to read “The Watchdog” and be informed!The second step is to register to VOTE! The third step is to VOTE!Is there a time when roundaboutsdidn’t score the highest?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmTkNaJdQJkTrial BeginsLet’s Show UpThis publication isdistributed monthlythrough local businesses,by personal delivery, orby e-mail subscription.Please provide yourname, street address, andtelephone number whenrequesting a subscription.Submit your subscriptionrequest to: CowCCC@proton.meThis monthly publication is published by a group of citizens from Cowlitz County to keep residents informed. For almost twoyears we've attended city, county, and school board meetings all around our area. We are on the ground at the meetings, weknow the players, and over time we have learned how to observe and interpret their actions. We have written about it hereand on social media. We have also spoken with thousands of you in person, on your front door steps and we thank you foryour input and your continued support.Spread the word:Read yours and pass it to a friend!Join the Watchdog Facebook group!Updates ~ Stuffy’s, Gators & RoundaboutsKelso RoundaboutsGET STUFFED AT STUFFY'S!Lawyers FeesCourt costsAppeals The WatchdogPage 15January 2024 The race between Hill & Bunn has been a nail-biter. We can imagine eachcandidate on the edge of their seat watching the results. Well, finally the resultsdid come in and Bunn is four votes behind Hill. If you hear of someone who saystheir vote doesn't count, please remind them of this race. This race is so close an automatic hand recount was triggered. Hill remains inthe lead so there won't be any changes to the Kelso City Council. That is disappointing! Bunn, with his first-hand knowledge of infrastructure,would have been a great addition, especially as Kelso grapples with this newroundabout boondoggle. We hope he'll throw his hat in the ring again. We would like to congratulateKeenan Harvey and Lisa Alexander on their wins. We’d also like to congratulatenewcomer Veryl Anderson on winning her race as well. We hope she breaks awayand doesn’t become part of the same go-along-to-get-along system that hasgotten us into the pickle we're in. Time will tell the tales of both Anderson andBunn. Huge 1.18 million sq ft warehouse without a tenant ~ KelsoBunn & Hill recount - Kelso Election updateBunn & Hill recount - Kelso Election updateBunn & Hill recount - Kelso Election update Keslo has a massiveopportunity, when we saymassive, we mean massive.The 1.185 million sq ftwarehouse called the Mid I-5Industrial Park is touted tobe one of the largestindustrial projects in thePacific Northwest. It isexpected to be completed inOctober 2024. You can see the activity offExit 36 in Kelso as we speak.The building is being built,but unfortunately, it doesn'thave a tenant as of yet. Wewonder how it will increaseprosperity and contribute toraising the quality of life forthose living in Kelso andsurrounding areas. All we can do now iswait and see. So many ofour politicians say greatand wonderful things, butwhen everything is saidand done we find outthey've given away thefarm and the communitydoesn't see much benefit.We sincerely hope this isnot the case here. We’ll stay on it and letyou know.HTTPS://WWW.TRAMMELLCROW.COM/NEWSROOM/TRAMMELL-CROW-COMPANY-BREAKS-GROUND-ON-LARGEST-SPECULATIVE-DEVELOPMENT-IN-PACIFIC-NORTHWESTDecember 2023 Page 15The Watchdog Magazine Cowlitz County Concerned CitizensAn informative publication for the people, by the peopleCounty, Longview, K elso, Castle Rock, Toutle, Woodland & KalamaFIGHTING FORFIGHTING FORFREEDOMFREEDOM The presentations have beeninformative. A bit painful at timeswatching the guy promote somethingso unpopular with the public. Wealmost felt sorry for him. That thoughtfaded quickly when we thought of themoney, time, and aggravation about tobe bestowed upon us. The Federal and State mandates willmake changes to the I-5 entrance andexit ramps a nightmare no matter howthey stack it. Early in 2024, they plan to presentto the city council draft studies of thepossible solutions. It looks to us like the roundaboutsare a foregone conclusion, they justdon’t want to say it out loud. We’llhave to wait and see.Here is WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW! The first step is to read “The Watchdog” and be informed!The second step is to register to VOTE! The third step is to VOTE!Is there a time when roundaboutsdidn’t score the highest?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmTkNaJdQJkTrial BeginsLet’s Show UpThis publication isdistributed monthlythrough local businesses,by personal delivery, orby e-mail subscription.Please provide yourname, street address, andtelephone number whenrequesting a subscription.Submit your subscriptionrequest to: CowCCC@proton.meThis monthly publication is published by a group of citizens from Cowlitz County to keep residents informed. For almost twoyears we've attended city, county, and school board meetings all around our area. We are on the ground at the meetings, weknow the players, and over time we have learned how to observe and interpret their actions. We have written about it hereand on social media. We have also spoken with thousands of you in person, on your front door steps and we thank you foryour input and your continued support.Spread the word:Read yours and pass it to a friend!Join the Watchdog Facebook group!Updates ~ Stuffy’s, Gators & RoundaboutsKelso RoundaboutsGET STUFFED AT STUFFY'S!Lawyers FeesCourt costsAppeals The WatchdogPage 15January 2024

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January 2024Volume III, Number 13The Watchdog Call 911 for emergencies or if a crime is in progress Important contact informationCity of Longview360-442-5000P.O. Box 1281525 BroadwayLongview, WA 98632Cowlitz County Commissioners360-577-3020207 4th Ave. N.Room 305Kelso,WA98626Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office360-577-3092312 SW 1st AvenueKelso, WA 98626Kelso City Hall360-423-1371203 S. PacificP.O. Box 819Kelso, WA 98626City of Castle Rock360-274-8181141 "A" Street SWPO Box 370Castle Rock, WA 98611City of Woodland360-225-8281230 Davidson AvenueWoodland, WA 98674City of Kalama360-673-4562195 N First StPO Box 1007Kalama WA 98625Clerk of Superior Court360-577-3016312 SW 1st Ave.Room 233Kelso, WA 98626Non-emergency dispatch:Sheriff (360) 762-6800Longview Police (360) 577-3098Kelso Police (360) 423-1270Castle Rock Police (360) 274-4711Woodland Police: (360) 225-8981 or (360) 577-3098Kalama Police (360) 673-2165 or (360) 577-3090 Gators Custom Guns is challenging the constitutionality of Washinton State's ban on 10-roundmagazines. In their previous court hearing with the State on October 16th, the State asked todismiss the Gators' challenge of the law. The judge did not dismiss it and the "face challenge"will continue.A face challenge decides whether a law is within the bounds of both the State and the FederalConstitutions. If a law is found to violate either Constitution, it is repealed. The 10-roundmagazine ban has not yet had a real day in court. Many will point to the Federal Way case ofthe gun store that challenged the law. In that case, the judge approved a preliminaryinjunction before arguments on the merits of the law could be heard. The judge apparentlythought the magazine ban was Constitutional and that it did not warrant a test in court. Thus,he avoided a face challenge. Here in Cowlitz County, we have a judge who seems to be moreinterested in the facts of the case rather than pushing an agenda We are encouraged. We hopethis continues.Gators' most recent court hearing was November 13th atthe Hall of Justice in Kelso. The State requested that thehearing be expanded to take place over the next 12+months. Gators' attorney asked that the face challengemove forward quickly; he requested only a few weeks toarrange experts and prepare for trial. Unnecessary delays,obviously, benefit the State. The State’s case becomesstronger every day that the law is in place; and every daythat the trial drags on also costs Gators more money.Unfortunately, the State and the Attorney General's Officewhich represents it, have unlimited taxpayer dollars tospend in support of their case.Here the process is the punishment. But the judge decidedto move the case forward and not follow the State's longdrawn-out request. We are grateful for that decision. Thenext court hearing is tentatively scheduled for Monday,December 4th at 9 A.M. This is a big case; we will befollowing it closely!Gators Custom GunsDecember 2023Page 16 The Watchdog Magazine January 2024Volume III, Number 13The Watchdog Call 911 for emergencies or if a crime is in progress Important contact informationCity of Longview360-442-5000P.O. Box 1281525 BroadwayLongview, WA 98632Cowlitz County Commissioners360-577-3020207 4th Ave. N.Room 305Kelso,WA98626Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office360-577-3092312 SW 1st AvenueKelso, WA 98626Kelso City Hall360-423-1371203 S. PacificP.O. Box 819Kelso, WA 98626City of Castle Rock360-274-8181141 "A" Street SWPO Box 370Castle Rock, WA 98611City of Woodland360-225-8281230 Davidson AvenueWoodland, WA 98674City of Kalama360-673-4562195 N First StPO Box 1007Kalama WA 98625Clerk of Superior Court360-577-3016312 SW 1st Ave.Room 233Kelso, WA 98626Non-emergency dispatch:Sheriff (360) 762-6800Longview Police (360) 577-3098Kelso Police (360) 423-1270Castle Rock Police (360) 274-4711Woodland Police: (360) 225-8981 or (360) 577-3098Kalama Police (360) 673-2165 or (360) 577-3090