As trees begin to come out of dormancy and start the growing season, tree health issues become apparent. Bark beetles are the most common cause for dying trees around the Mid-Columbia region. But OSU Extension Forester Glenn Ahrens says they have seen western redcedar dying in areas where it should thrive, along streams, in valleys, and along lower slopes. He adds researchers have not found evidence of insects or disease as a cause. The Oregon Department of Forestry, Washington Department of Natural Resources, and U.S. Forest service are involved in on-going investigations of the cedar dieback.
Author: mbailey
GCF Grants Program To Take Applications
The Gorge Community Foundation Community Grants Program will have $17,500 to donate to Gorge non-profits through a competitive application process that will close on May 19. For nearly two decades, the Gorge Community Foundation has made grants through its donor advised funds and grantmaking programs. Foundation officials say the purpose of the program is to provide charitable funds as the Foundation board determines are most needed and not limited to a single focus or exclusively to the interests of a particular constituency. The total available for 2023 granting through GCF Community Grants is $17,500 and proposals will be accepted for any amount up to that total. Applications are due May 19 and funding decisions and grants awarded the end of June. The range of grants in the past has been $650 to $4,000. Grant recipients are expected to comply with reporting requirements in order to be eligible for any future grants.
CGCC To Partner In Honors Program
Columbia Gorge Community College is one of 17 minority-serving institutions across the United States partnering in a national college honors program. The three-year initiative, organized through Phi Theta Kappa, the national student honors society, expands access to honors coursework among minority students. It’s expected to benefit more than 11,000 students. The program will be open to high-achieving minority students who earn at least a 3.5 GPA after completing 12 hours of college credit. Students will receive leadership opportunities, access to competitive scholarships, and one-on-one transfer and career coaching. Meanwhile, faculty and staff will be offered professional development opportunities, including capacity building in institutional effectiveness, institutional research, and fundraising.
Pothole Work Starts Monday
The Dalles Public Works will be begin work on pothole repair on W. 10th St. between Walnut St. and the City Limits on Monday. Phase 1 of the project will be grinding out the old pavement. Phase 2 will be patching back new asphalt. This extensive pothole repair project is expected to be completed by April 20, weather permitting. Work hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on each scheduled work day. Lane closures will be in effect on W. 10th St. throughout the day. Intersections, business and residential access will be partially closed all day in each work area and opened to all motor vehicle traffic at the end of the day. Motor vehicles and bicyclists will be detoured to adjacent side streets. While W. 10th Street will remain open to traffic throughout the project, use of alternate routes is encouraged. Where sidewalks exist, pedestrian and sidewalk access will remain open through the duration of this work. Where no sidewalks exist, pedestrians will be flagged through the work area. No parking will be allowed within the project areas to allow room for large equipment to safely work. No parking signs will be placed on the curb 48 hours before the project moves into each
April 5 Prep Sports Roundup
Track and Field
Crook County won while The Dalles was second in both boys and girls competition in a six-school meet at Sid White Field. The Riverhawks’ Juan Diego Contreras won both the boys’ 800 and 1500 meters, while Lilly Adams won the girls’ 100 and 200 meters.
Horizon Christian’s Caleb Yuan won the boys’ 110 meter hurdles at the Southwest Christian Invitational.
Softball
Nelson 14, Hood River Valley 1
Girls Lacrosse
Oregon Episcopal 15, Hood River Valley 1
April 4 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Pendleton 11, The Dalles 1
Gresham at Hood River Valley, ccld.
Sherman 21, Dufur 8
Stanfield 12, Lyle-Wishram 5
Softball
The Dalles 5, Pendleton 4: Kaleyah Crichton-Tunai and Madalynn Sagapolutele hit back-to-back homers in a four-run bottom of the fourth inning that was the difference in the game. Kennedy Abbas induced a pop out that stranded the potential tying run at third in the top of the seventh to end the game.
Boys Tennis
Hood River Valley 5, Parkrose 3
Boys Lacrosse
Hood River Valley 15, Hillsboro 2
Homeless Town Hall Brings Different Angles
Attendees heard from a panel of agency representatives on the subject of homelessness in Wasco County during a town hall meeting Monday night. The discussion took a number of different angles on the subject. Patty Mulvihill of the League of Oregon Cities discussed some of the legal parameters that cities and counties are subject to in dealing with homelessness, saying the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled people cannot be punished for an involuntary act or condition if it is an unavoidable consequence of their status or being. Mid-Columbia Community Action Executive Director Kenny LaPoint, who fielded a number of questions on his agency’s acquisition of the former Oregon Motor Motel for transitional housing, provided data on who is homeless, adding it takes the whole community to deal with the issue. He asked attendees to change their perspective to be solutions focused rather than problem focused. Wasco County Sheriff Lane Magill said he came to realization a decade ago that the state’s mental health system was broken. Magill noted that they won’t have all the solutions, but those involved will continue to work hard.
White Salmon Man Dies After Fall
The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office says a White Salmon man died after falling about 40 feet while doing trail maintenance on private property near Bear Creek Road north of Carson. According to a Sheriff’s Office statement, 73-year-old Daryl Hoyt was with a group of several individuals when the accident happened. Emergency personnel responded, and due to the steep terrain rope rescue teams were used. But once crews were able to reach Hoyt, it was discovered he had succumbed to his injuries. Skamania County EMS and Search and Rescue personnel were able to retrieve Hoyt’s body from the location. The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office determined Hoyt’s death was accidental.
Westside & Wy’east Fire To Receive Engines In State Program
Both the Westside and Wy’east fire departments will receive new Type 3 fire engines as part of the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s $25 million Engine Program Across Oregon. Seventy-six fire service agencies in the state were selected to receive a new type 3, type 6, or water tender to boost firefighting capacity. The OSFM Engine Program is a part of the agency’s Response Ready Oregon initiative, launched in 2021 and funded by the wildfire omnibus bill passed by the Legislature. The initiative is part of a multi-pronged approach to prepare, prevent, and respond to wildfires, with a goal of attacking fires while they are small and keep them away from communities. Award recipients will enter into a contract with the OSFM to support mobilizations, boosting local, regional, and state response. The OSFM anticipates deliveries to begin in 2023 through the first two quarters of 2024.
LINK Will Add New Stops
The LINK Public Transportation says it will be adding new stops to its Red and Blue Deviated Fixed Routes in The Dalles starting on April 17. Both circle The Dalles on a one-hour loop on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The bus operates along a route with a regular schedule but is called a “deviated” fixed route because it can also leave the route to accommodate requests for “off-route” drop-offs or pick- ups. Riders can get on stops at The Dalles Transit Center, Foley Lakes, One Community Health, The Dalles City Park, The Dalles High School, DMV, Water’s Edge, Mid-Columbia Medical Center, The Next Door, and the Veterans’ Service Office downtown, along with other locations. Rides are $1.50 each way, or you can purchase the GOrge Pass, good for the rest of the year, for a price of $40 for adults and $20 for kids under 17. Purchases can be made at The Dalles Transit Center located at 802 Chenowith Loop Road. As an incentive to encourage the community to try out the modified routes, all rides are free for the first week, beginning April 17 through April 22.