Other Headlines

County finds fault with ICC report
MONTESANO — Though most of the International Code Council’s review of the county Planning and Building Department remains under wraps, commissioners released a pair of letters sent to the association outlining objections to the report.

Last year, the county hired the council to conduct an analysis of the department. A draft report was received Nov. 24. Commissioners never publicly discussed the document and released a highly redacted copy of the draft report in response to requests in January.

On Feb. 12, the county received the ICC’s final report. Commissioners said they plan to make all documents available March 1, so the union or individuals named in the report have time to file a lawsuit, if they so choose, to prevent the release of the reports in their entirety.

$1 million for Oakhurst
Sale discussed in secret with Mark Reed officials
MONTESANO — County commissioners unanimously agreed Monday to offer to sell the former Oakhurst Sanitorium site in Elma to the Mark Reed Hospital District for $1 million. The figure is $300,000 less than the property’s appraised value.

The discount is warranted because it would assist the district’s desire to build an expanded hospital and increase medical services in East County, County Commissioner Terry Willis said as she proposed the offer.

Commissioners unanimously voted to make the offer without additional discussion. They voted to make the offer after meeting in executive session for half an hour.

Commissioners then designated Willis as the county’s representative in discussions to sell the property to the hospital district.


Elma council growing to 7?
ELMA — The Elma City Council has five members. But at least one of them has said it was time to consider increasing it to seven.

He’d like to see “a little more diversity on the council,” says Jim Sorensen. It’s also timely, since the city’s looking to annex a portion of the county west of town that includes a number of residences, though the city hasn’t figured exactly how many.

Annexing the area would put the city closer to a population of 5,000, the point at which state law requires a mayor-council code city to have a seven-member council.

Moreover, the 2000 federal census counted slightly over 3,000 inhabitants in Elma, and the 2010 census in April could show an increase in Elma’s population.

More Sports

Monte’s Ford, Campbell take thirds at state wrestling
MONTESANO — Along with three regional champions, Montesano is set to send eight more wrestlers to the state tourney after a strong showing at the 1A Region II wrestling tournament at Montesano’s Bo Griffith Memorial Gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 13.

With the top-five placers moving on, the 11 individual Monte advancers helped give the host Bulldogs 176 team points, which were 66 fewer than Castle Rock at 242, which captured the team title and advanced 14 to state.

Out of four Bulldog finalists, three secured titles including freshman 103-pounder Ryan Wood and seniors 152-pounder Dillon Ford and 171-pounder Ryan Campbell.

Wood collected the first Monte title in the tourney’s first finals matchup; he dominated Kalama’s Casey Heaton before collecting a pin-fall victory.

Hawks knock off Eagles for title
ELMA — Lighting up the scoreboard in the first half, River Ridge was able to fend off a second-half Elma rally and escape Elma’s high school gymnasium with a 75-68 2A Evergreen Conference girls basketball victory Friday, Feb. 19.

The state’s No. 1 ranked Hawks exploded for 42 first-half points, 21 in each quarter, to surge ahead 42-28. But an 11-0 run by the third-ranked Eagles turned the game into a close one on several occasions. The last was when a Katie Colard three-pointer made it 67-64 River Ridge with 1:25 left in the game.

Hawks knock off Eagles for title
TACOMA — The trio of Elma competitors at the 2A Washington State wrestling championships missed the cut for day two at the Mat Classic XXII on Friday, Feb. 19, at the Tacoma Dome.

Freshman Matt Gamino and seniors Zach Williams and Jeremy Sherman did not advance, as they were all beaten in their first two matches.

Gamino, wrestling at 103-pounds, lost to Burlington Edison freshman Nick Granberg 8-4 and Toppenish freshman Carlos Hernandez by pin-fall in 1:57.