The new affordable housing development in Hood River is receiving statewide recognition. Mariposa Village has been named a 2026 Building Tomorrow Today Award winner by the Oregon American Planning Association. The project is the City of Hood River’s newest affordable housing development — and the first time the city has taken on the role of housing producer. When complete, Mariposa Village will provide 130 income-restricted homes for families earning between 30 and 60% of the area median income. The city purchased seven acres for the project and leveraged $1.6 million in local resources to attract nearly $55 million in outside investment. The first two of six residential buildings are now complete, and residents have begun moving in. The entire development is expected to be finished by spring 2027. City officials say the project is the result of more than a decade of planning, public engagement and partnerships aimed at addressing housing affordability in the Hood River community.
Author: mbailey
POW/MIA Ceremony Friday
The Dalles will mark National POW/MIA Recognition Day Friday with a ceremony honoring American service members who were prisoners of war or remain missing in action. The annual observance is set for Friday, at 6 p.m. at the Kelly Viewpoint Veterans Memorial on Scenic Drive, across from Sorosis Park. Local veterans groups, including American Legion Post 19, are organizing the ceremony. The program will honor missing and captured service members and their families. Community members and local businesses are also encouraged to display POW/MIA flags throughout the day. National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed each year on the third Friday of September.
September 17 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Boys Soccer
LaSalle 3, Hood River Valley 0
Girls Soccer
LaSalle 1, Hood River Valley 0
LaCenter 10, Stevenson 0
Columbia 2, Fort Vancouver 2
Volleyball
Centennial def. Hood River Valley 25-21, 25-22, 26-24
Columbia def. Fort Vancouver 3-0
LaCenter def. Stevenson 3-0
Dufur def. Lyle-Wishram-Klickitat 25-10, 25-9, 25-23
Columbia Christian def. Horizon Christian 25-17, 25-20, 25-7
URA Takes Two Tracks On Tony’s Property
The Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency Board asked URA Manager Jacob Anderson to develop a list of potential temporary uses for the former Tony’s Town and Country property in downtown The Dalles while they prepare a request for proposals for a permanent use. There was consensus that the property should not be left vacant while the adjacent Federal Street Plaza opens. There was also discussion about needing to see construction of Basalt Commons get underway and what the Craig Office Supply building will be used for to determine a best use for the Tony’s property. Anderson said any downtown improvements enhance the attractiveness of the Tony’s property. The discussion evolved from a report on downtown The Dalles by students in the University of Oregon’s Sustainable City Year Program, which targeted entertainment options as a void in that area.
Port of HR Reaffirms Intent To Provide Property For New Bridge
The Port of Hood River Commission reaffirmed its intent to make property it owns available for a new Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge. Port staff asked the Commission to identify the principles, conditions, limitations, or other elements it wants incorporated into a resolution to formalize its policy in the hopes that federal funding for the bridge is imminent. Port Commissioners all affirmed strong support for the replacement. Sheppard noted that they are providing the strongest possible support for the project, but the Port is not building the new bridge, and the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority is the one that will be determining the timeline for when that can occur. A draft resolution will be brought back for the Port Commission’s October meeting.
Klickitat County Commission Approves RV Park Ordinance Changes
Klickitat County Commissioners approved revisions to its Recreational Vehicle Parks ordinance after some revisions were made from when it was first presented a couple of weeks ago. Most of the discussion among the commissioners and the public that testified centered around authorizing the Board of Adjustment to waive a 60-day occupancy limit to deal with workforce housing needs. Some of the testimony questioned assumptions in the staff report of large-scale projects leading to a housing crunch, but Community Development Director Scott Edelman said the need is already those who work in the area and trying to find a place to live. The three commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the revisions.
Sense of Place Starts 17th Season In October
Sense of Place, the Gorge-based storytelling series, returns for its 17th season in October. For the first time, Sense of Place is an independent non-profit rather that being a program of another non-profit. Executive Director and series host Sarah Fox says that won’t change what Sense of Place does. The first show will be October 14 on the local aviation technology industry with Jason Hartmann of the Columbia Gorge Tech Alliance. It will begin at 7 p.m. at Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River. Tickets are available at columbiaarts.org.
White Salmon School Enrollment Slightly Above Expectation
White Salmon Valley School District’s enrollment to start the school year is almost exactly what they estimated. Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn says they have 1,009 full-time students in the district. That’s seven students above what they budgeted for in the fall. Polkinghorn says if their current enrollment number holds through the fall, it will help them get a bit more funding from the state. The enrollment is down slightly from last year’s 1,022, and Polkinghorn say they continue to forecast a continued slight decline in enrollment, as many other districts in the region are seeing.
September 15 Prep Sports Roundup
Boys Soccer
Hood River Valley 2, Scappoose 0
Trout Lake-Horizon Christian 5, Riverdale 2
Girls Soccer
Scappoose 3, Hood River Valley 1
Stevenson 2, Castle Rock 2
Columbia 2, LaCenter 1
Volleyball
Sandy def. Hood River Valley 25-16, 25-22, 25-17
The Dalles def. Pendleton 25-17, 25-19, 25-21
LaCenter def. Columbia 25-15, 25-18, 25-21
Castle Rock def. Stevenson 3-1
South Wasco def. Lyle-Wishram-Klickitat 3-1
Sherman def. Ione-Arlington 25-18, 25-13, 25-12
Dufur def. Heppner 21-25, 25-18, 25-13, 25-18
Trout Lake-Glenwood def. Horizon Christian 25-8, 25-14, 25-14
Cross Country
Trout Lake’s Melody Stock won the girls’ race at a five-school meet in Stevenson. Stock held off Stevenson’s Daisy Jones in a close race, with Columbia’s Lilah Zimmerman in third. In the boys’ race, Joby Steward of Glenwood-Trout Lake took second, with Columbia’s Colby Clark in fourth and Stevenson’s Colton Hollis in fifth.
Boys Water Polo
Hood River Valley 17, David Douglas 8: Liam McGeeney scored nine goals in the game for HRV.
Girls Water Polo
Hood River Valley 13, David Douglas 9: The Eagles outscored the Scots 5-2 in the final quarter. Layla Williams had three goals and four assists for HRV.
Hood River School Enrollment Trend Continues
Hood River County School District doesn’t have its initial enrollment figures complete at this point, but it appears a gradual downward trend continues. Superintendent Bill Newton says last year’s high school graduating class was about 70 students larger than the one behind it, which is added to the high cost of housing and lowering birth rates dropping school numbers. But Newton also says the impact of families moving into the Mariposa Village housing development has led to an uptick in enrollment at Westside Elementary School. Newton says Westside is currently just over 400 students, but there is capacity for 550, so that increase won’t require any kind of adjustments.