The Timeshare Beat: Protest of resort sparks Upper County Fourth of July

Protest of resort sparks Upper County Fourth of July

By MICHAEL GALLAGHER
staff writer - Daily Record
July 5, 2000

Opponents of the MountainStar master planned resort took to the streets over the Fourth of July weekend, staging a protest picket in front of Trendwest’s Roslyn office.

“We decided the best way to celebrate the Fourth of July was to celebrate our freedom from corporate developments and our continued support of the city of Roslyn’s appeal,” said Bethany Spurrier.

Spurrier is a member of the Upper County citizens group RIDGE, which along with the city of Roslyn and the trade union group REBOUND, is appealing the final environmental impact statement for MountainStar.

Spurrier said the protest was organized by Larry Susich. It was not a RIDGE protest, but some RIDGE members took part.
There were a handful of protesters on Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, supporters of the MountainStar proposal joined the demonstration with their own signs.

Tuesday featured the largest number of resort protesters waving signs requesting drivers honk if they opposed the resort plan.
“We’ve been getting a lot of honks today,” Spurrier said.

Trendwest supporters were represented on Tuesday by Keith and Madelaine Welch.

“I’m tired of the ignorance shown by people who protest the resort. Of all the protests I’ve heard, none of the arguments have been grounded in fact,” Keith Welch said.

Welch said Trendwest has cleaned garbage off the land, particularly behind the No. 9 mine, brought money into the community and will leave much of the property undeveloped.

Today, tomorrow and Friday the opponents and proponents of the resort proposal will be represented by attorneys carrying brief cases rather than picket signs. The appeal hearings before the Kittitas County commissioners will be held in the Samuelson Union Building on the Central Washington University campus from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

The schedule may be shortened, though, because the Yakama Nation and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife reached agreement with Trendwest to drop their appeals of the EIS.

The terms of the agreement have not been released.

The public will have the opportunity to speak to the merits of the resort proposal at public hearings on the resort application on July 12 and 13.

The July 12 hearing will be at Cle Elum-Roslyn High School from 6:30 to 10 p.m. The July 13 hearing will be in the SUB on the Central Washington University campus from 6:30 to 10 p.m.