Hood River City Councilors approved a resolution to establish a Parks Capital Improvement Plan.  The Council had identified creating such a plan in their work plan for 2021, something the City already has for water, sewer, stormwater, and roads.  Interim City Manager Will Norris says establishing the plan has two objectives:  insuring everyone has a safe place to recreate, and involving the community in both fundraising and volunteering time and energy.  Norris added the plan calls for grant dollars to be leveraged to the maximum extent possible.  Councilors approved the resolution unanimously.

Grass Valley, Maupin, Fossil, and Condon will receive $100,000 each for street repair projects in the Oregon Department of Transportation’s latest round of the Small City Allotment program established in 2017.  A total of $5.1 million was disbursed by the program this year.  Recipient cities must have less than 5,000 population and project selection includes on-site visits.  To include as many cities as possible, no matching funds are required.  In Maupin, the money will be used for rebuilding roads to match existing curb lines while paving the full width of road, including shoulders.

Volunteers are being sought to serve on the Columbia River Gorge Response Team of the Trauma Intervention Program.  Program volunteers are called by law enforcement and other emergency personnel to various locations to provide immediate emotional and practical support to families, friends, witnesses, and victims of traumatic incidents.  Trauma Intervention Programs Community Relations Director Dennis Toomey says trainings are planned in November, and explains volunteers help victims not feel like they are alone, providing comfort, protection, and a feeling of safety.  To learn more about the trainings and the program, go to tipnw.org or call 503-823-3937.

With state approval of booster doses for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, North Central Public Health District says it is ready to vaccinate large numbers of people in the coming weeks and months.  NCPHD has reopened its vaccination clinics at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center, and eight clinics are planned through mid-December, starting this Thursday from noon to 6 p.m.  People can book their own appointment by visiting.ncphd.org/book-vaccine or calling the health district at 541-506-2600, or Mid-Columbia Senior Center at 541-296-4788.   Those who are eligible for the Moderna booster include people 65 and older, anyone 18 and older living in a long-term care facility, those 18 and older with underlying medical conditions or increased risk of social inequalities, and anyone age 18 to 49 at risk for COVID because of occupational or institutional setting.  Moderna boosters are available six months after their second dose.  Johnson and Johnson booster doses are available to anyone who has received that vaccine, and can be given two months after the vaccine.  

The Dalles Public Works is asking people to help pick up leaves promptly so they do not block the storm water catch basins and before they freeze onto the streets.  Citizens are being asked to park off the street during street sweeper work hours of 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Do not rake leaves from your yard into the street.   Compost leaves at home or put them in your yard debris container for pick-up.  You can also put them in compostable paper bags and take them to The Dalles Transfer Station.  Also, Remove large sticks or branches from the roadway so they don’t jam the sweeper, and clear storm drains in front of your house to prevent flooding during a rainstorm.  The Dalles Transfer Station, located at 1317 West First Street, will accept yard debris at no charge from The Dalles residential customers only beginning on November 1.

Klickitat County is in the midst of its 2022 budget process.  County Commissioner David Sauter says this has been a much more intense process this year with two new commissioners and looking a reprioritizing what they are spending their resources on.  One example is a proposal cutting the County’s general fund contribution to road projects in half to help make the bond payments for the new administrative building.  Sauter thinks those funds will be made up in time, in large part when tax revenues on two solar projects in the eastern end of the County are operating.  Sauter does not expect to see that revenue in 2022, but that will likely happen in 2023.

Hood River’s Urban Renewal advisory committee discussed potential design options for the Heights district at a recent worksession.  Mayor Kate McBride says the purpose was to give their consultant more information on whether those concepts are going in the right direction.  The next step is for the consultant to integrate information from the meeting into the concepts, and getting final results of a parking study that was done on the Heights to develop projections for future needs.

Football Hood River Valley 41, Putnam 0 The Dalles 49, Parkrose 20 Goldendale 60, Highland 0 Columbia 33, Fort Vancouver 22 Wahkiakum 41, Stevenson 2 Dufur 32, Imbler 14 Sherman 58, Pilot Rock 44 Enterprise 50, Lyle-Wishram-Klickitat 14   Volleyball Big Sky District Tournament at Echo Semi-Final:  South Wasco def.. Klickitat-Glenwood 25-19, 25-19, 25-15 Third Place:  Ione-Arlington def. Klickitat-Glenwood 3-1 Championship:  Echo def. South Wasco 25-19, 25-23, 25-18:  South Wasco hosts Open Door on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the first round of the OSAA Class 1A playoffs.

Boys Soccer Hood River Valley 4, Redmond 0:  HRV clinched a share of the Intermountain Conference championship with the win. The Dalles 2, Ridgeview 2   Girls Soccer Redmond 1, Hood River Valley 0 Ridgeview 5, The Dalles 0 LaCenter 8, Columbia 0 Stevenson 6, Toutle Lake 2   Volleyball Hood River Valley def. The Dalles 25-22, 14-25, 25-20, 26-24 LaCenter def. Columbia 25-13, 13-25, 25-6, 27-25 Stevenson def. Winlock 25-20, 25-17, 25-22 Goldendale def. Highland 25-21, 25-16, 25-7   Cross Country Juan Diego Contreras won the high school boys “Blue” division race at the Valiant Invitational at Valley Catholic.  The Riverhawks finished second to the host Valiants in the team standings.  The Riverhawks finished sixth in the girls’ race, with Alana Casady was the top finisher for The Dalles in tenth.   Stevenson’s girls finished second at the Central 2B League Championship in Onalaska.  The Bulldogs’ Isabella Spencer finished second while Sofia Spencer was fourth.  In the boys’ race, Raymond Hays was the top Stevenson finisher in 21st.   Goldendale’s boys won a three-school EWAC League Meet at home.  Issac Call was second and Aiden Williams fourth for the Timberwolves.  

Dufur and Hood River are both in line to receive federal funding for infrastructure projects in a bill that funds the Interior Department and U.S. Forest Service.  Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley’s office says the bill includes federal funding for specific conservation, water infrastructure, and other projects throughout Oregon.  That includes $1 million for the City of Dufur’s wastewater treatment expansion project, and $500,000 for the City of Hood River’s Phase IV of its waterfront stormwater line relocation.  The bill will now be the basis for negotiations with the House.  Merkley is chair of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that works on funding of the Interior Department and the Forest Service.