The Hood River County Commission gave its consensus for County Planner Eric Walker to work with the Port of Hood River to develop a zoning code amendment to allow for an RV park on a portion of the Lower Hanel Mill property to be used to provide housing for workers when construction of the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge begins. Walker told Commissioners a narrow amendment to allow for the RV spaces to be created could be done. Walker added a sunset clause could be placed on the amendment. The Port is considering a 40 to 50 space temporary RV facility on the property.
Author: mbailey
HR Schools Looking At Staffing Levels While Facing Budget Issues
As the Hood River County School District faces dealing with reducing $2.2 million from its budget heading into the 2024-25 school year, the process to determine how to adjust staffing levels is underway. Interim Superintendent Bill Newton says they are asking staff members if they are planning to return to the district next school year, and that will take until early April. The district has seen a continued gradual decline in enrollment from a high of just above 4,000 students six years ago to about 3,750 now. Newton says it does not appear that trend will change in the near future.
White Salmon Looks Toward Zoning Map Update Process
The White Salmon City Council will be asked to approve doing some zoning map update work during its meeting Wednesday night. Mayor Marla Keethler says if that work is approved, the City will be going out into the community with open house and public hearing opportunities as they evaluate current zones and neighborhoods. The update work approval is in the Council’s consent agenda. The Council meeting will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the White Salmon Fire Hall.
March 15-16 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Hood River Valley 11, Forest Grove 10, 8 innings: Bodie Stuben’s base hit drove in Grady Williams with the game winning run with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning. Maverick Hockett came off the bench to drive in three runs for the Eagles.
The Dalles 4, Knappa 3, 8 innings: Sam Shaver doubled home Trey Hodges in the bottom of the eighth to give the Riverhawks the win, after Knappa came back from a three-run deficit to force the extra inning.
Country Christian swept Dufur 10-6 and 16-9
Sherman split with Weston-McEwen, winning game one 6-2 but falling in the nightcap 23-13.
Goldendale sweeps Zillah 5-2 and 3-2.
Softball
Hood River Valley 17, Lake Oswego 6: Grace Rowan and Addi Van Metre both had three hits and three runs batted in as the Eagles scored 12 runs in the final two innings to win.
Columbia 7, Hockinson 6: Joella Posini had two hits and two runs batted in for the Bruins.
Kalama 10, Stevenson 0
Track and Field
Goldendale’s Raymond Holycross won both boys’ hurdles races, the long jump, and the triple jump to highlight the Mullin-Leavitt Invitational at Sid White Field. Lilly Adams and Madelyn Harrison of The Dalles and Violette Anderson of Trout Lake won two events apiece.
Columbia’s girls won two relays and Stevenson’s boys one at the Wildcat Relays at LaCenter. Stevenson’s Olivia Fauth won the girls’ long jump and Dani Wallace the girls’ discus.
Boys Lacrosse
Hood River Valley 9, Mountain View 2
Girls Lacrosse
Hood River Valley 17, Oregon City 8
Boys Soccer
Columbia 3, Royal 2: Issac Reynoso’s goal gave the Bruins the win as they came back from a 2-0 deficit at halftime.
Transportation & Infrastructure First For Lot 1
The Port of Hood River is planning on dealing with transportation needs and infrastructure for the vacant 11-acre Lot 1 on the eastern portion of the Waterfront before deciding on what that land will actually be used for. A roundabout at 2nd and Riverside adjacent to Lot 1 is being considered as a way to deal with the kind of expected traffic that Port Commissioner Ben Sheppard notes is supposed to arrive by the end of the decade. Sheppard notes they already have some grant money for engineering, but the Port will be going out for more grants to do construction.
Cherry Fest One Month Away
The Northwest Cherry Festival is just one month away. The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Lisa Farquharson says they have begun to take parade entries, and more will be done in the next of couple of weeks, including beginning to take entries for the Little Royals contest and how to sign up for the Cherry Trail. She adds they have over 80 vendors this point for the open-air market. The Cherry Festival will be the weekend of April 19th to the 21st. Detailed information is available at thedalleschamber.com.
GYM Seeks Mentors
The Next Door’s Gorge Youth Mentoring program is urgently seeking volunteer mentors in Wasco, Hood River, and Klickitat counties to pair with local youth ages 6 to 21 in need of positive role modeling. Matches are made based on similar interests, personalities, and needs. GYM match coordinator Maria Diaz says they have over 30 mentees on its waitlist, and all it takes is to have an interest in helping a young person. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a mentor, visit nextdoorinc.org to fill out an application in the Program Resources section, or call 503-867-5770.
Town Halls Planned For Klickitat County Residents
There are a couple of virtual town halls scheduled this week targeted toward Klickitat County residents. Klickitat County Commissioners are holding a town hall on Zoom Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. To take part, the link is available at klickitatcounty.org, along with a list of phone numbers to be involved by phone. Late Thursday afternoon, Washington 4th District Congressman Dan Newhouse will host a telephone town hall session that starts at 4:55 p.m. To RSVP for that event, go to newhouse.house.gov.
$6 Million For Bridge of the Gods In Oregon Omnibus Bill
The Bridge of the Gods in Cascade Locks did receive $6 million in funding in the Oregon Legislature’s end-of-session omnibus bill location to support engineering studies focused on seismic resilience and bridge preservation to safeguard the nearly 100-year-old bridge. With this funding, the Port of Cascade Locks will be able to procure engineering and other services such as site and soil assessments to analyze the bridge’s structural integrity to identify seismic vulnerabilities and inform targeted preservation efforts. Additionally, the studies will explore the feasibility of adding a pedestrian, bike, and equestrian lane separate from the flow of vehicle traffic to enhance safety for users, particularly those traversing the iconic Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. The Port plans to seek matching funds in next year’s legislative session in Washington. After narrowly missing out on funding during the 2023 session, the Port worked closely with leadership from the Joint Transportation Committee to present another funding request during the 2024 short session.
Visit Hood River Grant Program Begins
Applications are now being accepted for Visit Hood River’s 2024 Community Investment Matching Grant Program, which is designed to support businesses and community economic vitality in the greater Hood River area. Applications will be accepted through April 5. The VHR Community Grant Program occurs annually. In 2024, the program will award as much as $50,000, in total for all projects awarded. Each project requires its own application, and applicants must demonstrate the ability to meet the matching funding requirements. The VHR Community Investment Matching Grant Program application and guidelines are available on the Visit Hood River website in English and Spanish.