Klickitat County Commissioners decided on Wednesday to add a County Administrator position, and selected current Human Resources Director Robb Van Cleave to fill the spot on an interim basis. Commission Chair Ron Ihrig says his goal would be for Van Cleave to help make changes to County government structure to deal with an uncertain financial future over the next three to five years. Commissioner Todd Andrews says he had talked with constituents with questions about adding the administrator position while dealing with a budget crunch, but he felt it can help save money over time. Van Cleave told the Commission that he would not be a candidate to fill the position long-term, but was willing to do it for 2026, which he says will be a year of transition.
Author: mbailey
Hood River School District Enrollment Down By 75
Hood River County School District enrollment is down by 75 students from one year ago, continuing a multi-year trend. District Human Resources Director Gus Hedberg gave a presentation to the district board on Wednesday. He said much of the reason for this year’s drop revolves around last year’s high school senior class being replaced by a much smaller kindergarten class. Total enrollment in the district for this year is 3,730 students, and Hedberg says lower birth rates have their projection models continuing to go down. He did point out the two projection models they use have drastically different kindergarten projections for next year. Hedberg says the district will conduct an early “Kindergarten Roundup” event to get a better idea of what they should prepare for.
HR Parks & Rec Taking Winter Sign-Ups
The Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District is taking sign-ups for a variety of winter recreation programs for kids and adults. The activities range from youth skiing and snowboarding, sports, music, adult sports and chess, and snowshoeing for all ages. District Recreation Supervisor Jaime Rivera says they are excited to start to be able to add the musical offerings, including guitar, choir, drums, and piano. A complete schedule of offerings is available at hoodriverparksandrec.org. There are opportunities for financial assistance for families who need it.
Sunshine Club Holds Open House For New Building
Hood River’s Sunshine Club, which provides a day group for people with memory-loss issues, will hold an open house at their new facility both Thursday and Friday. The club has placed a new building on 1128 Tucker Road behind Spirit of Grace Church and FISH Food Bank. The Sunshine Club raised nearly $700,000 to get the building up in less than a year. The sneak peak open house is Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Dalles Chamber Launches Holiday Drive
The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce is partnering with The Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul to launch a community-wide collection drive to provide food, clothing, and toys for families in need this holiday season. The drive will continue through December 11, seeking non-perishable food items, gently used coats, hats, and gloves of all sizes and types, and unwrapped new toys for all ages. Eleven different collection barrels have been set up at businesses around The Dalles to take donations, and there is a QR code at each site for those wishing to make monetary donations. They are located at Tonkin of the Gorge, US Market, 6th Street Station Food Cart Pod, Bargeway Pub & Catering, Columbia Gorge Honda & Toyota, Center Market, Sunshine Mill, Brick City Games, Meraki Beauty, Still Waters Massage & Esthetics, and LaGolosa Postre y mas.
Tucker Road Construction South Of Windmaster Next Week
Construction will begin Monday morning on the southbound lane of Tucker Road south of Hood River, approximately 1,000 feet south of Windmaster Corner. Crestline Construction says work on the lane will require flaggers to help motorists navigate the work zone. Motorists heading south on this road can expect minor delays, and are encouraged to find alternate routes, if possible. Work is scheduled to take place from Monday until Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 3p.m. Questions can be directed to Crestline Project Manager Sam Krentz at 541-288-8287.
West 6th Paving Work Continues Next Week
West 6th Street in The Dalles between Snipes Street and Chenowith Loop will be reduced to a single southbound lane as work continues on paving the intersection of West 6th and Hostetler. All northbound traffic will be detoured at Snipes around the work area. The detour will be in effect during the paving window which is weather dependent next week. Monday through Friday of next week are all possible paving dates. It is recommended that motorists use alternate routes, obey site traffic control and be aware of the increased construction equipment and activity throughout the duration of the project.
Late Goal Sends Riverhawks To Class 4A Girls Soccer Final
The Dalles Riverhawks advanced to the Oregon Class 4A Girls Soccer Final in the most dramatic way possible. Ariana Gonzalez stole the ball inside the penalty box and used her left foot to put the ball inside the right post and score with four seconds remaining to lift the Riverhawks to a 2-1 semi-final win over Scappoose. The game’s other goals came in the first half. The Dalles scored nine minutes in on a Natalia Elias free kick. But Scappoose came back to tie in the 24th minute on a goal by Amalie Anderson. The two teams then stayed tied until Gonzalez provided her heroics in the waning seconds. The Riverhawks will play Marist in the 4-A final on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. at Liberty High School in Hillsboro.
Hood River Veterans Day Ceremony Unveils Nisei Highway Marker
American Legion Post 22’s Veterans Day ceremony in Hood River featured the unveiling of the Oregon Nisei Veterans Historical Marker installed on Highway 35 honoring the contributions of second generation Japanese Americans. Post 22 Commander Carl Casey told the gathering that during World War II the names of 16 Nisei soldiers whose names were removed in 1944 from the Hood River community military honor roll that was displayed on the outside wall of the former county courthouse. He pointed out all Veterans deserve our gratitude and respect. Eric Ballinger said his grandfather served in World War II, adding if not for the perseverance of the Nisei, he would not be living their dreams of a better life. His daughter, Mia Ballinger, spoke to the importance of the Highway 35 marker, saying it continues a legacy that should be remembered and commemorated. Afterwards, there was a dedication ceremony for the marker at its location on Highway 35 where the Nisei Veterans Highway sign is located.
Hood River Council Moves Toward Changes To SDC Exemptions
The Hood River City Council gave its approval to having staff prepare a pair of changes to its ordinance that allows full or partial exemptions for systems development charges, specifically to encourage affordable housing developments. One revision would change the current language of “low-income housing” to a more specific definition targeting up to 120 percent of the Area Median Income. Some councilors were hesitant to go that high in AMI, but Councilor Ben Mitchell pointed out Hood River may have the highest housing costs in the state. The other completely removes a federal funding requirement, which addresses an impediment toward giving an SDC exemption to a Habitat for Humanity project. Councilors did decide to leave in a requirement for 40-year deed restrictions to preserve the unit as affordable housing. Municipal staff will bring back ordinance language to the Council’s November 24 meeting.